A closer look at the cultural landscape of the Arabian Peninsula reveals women increasingly occupying leading roles. From curating exhibitions to directing museums, and overseeing biennials and design weeks, the perspectives of Beatrice Leanza, Majeda Alhinai, Natasha Carella, Rana Beiruti, and Sara Ghani are charting a significant course for the future of design disciplines. This path is beneficial not only to this part of the world but also to the West. Sumayah Al-Solaiman, CEO of the Saudi Architecture & Design Commission, an «architect, urban planner, researcher: a woman», as Leanza emphasizes, «who is making a difference in the Arab design system», recently signed a strategic partnership with Milan’s Salone del Mobile in early October 2025 for its debut in the Kingdom in 2026.
«Being a woman here is a universal experience», states Majeda Alhinai. A cosmopolitan architect, she is the first Omani to curate an exhibition for her country at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. Titled Trace, commissioned by Sayyid Saeed bin Sultan bin Yarub Al Busaidi, with the Undersecretary for Culture at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, the exhibition delves into the Sablah model, a traditional local community space. «It takes time to be heard, and perseverance is key. The only way is to keep working hard, letting the quality of what we do speak for itself». This awareness, cultivated by the curator, challenges one of the most persistent clichés, embedded in the very term used to define the Arabian Peninsula. «Middle East is not only a colonialist-era label that defines the region in relation to Europe rather than to itself, but also a clumsy geographical synthesis that cannot encompass the full cultural richness and historical depth of such a vast region. Flattening differences risks losing the unique voices, practices, and innovations that spontaneously emerge from these territories. Thinking of ourselves as a mosaic, rather than a monolith, would help overcome prejudices».
Nuanced, diverse, layered, and rich: this is how Rana Beiruti chooses to describe the Saudi design scene, the one she explores and operates within. With an MBA from Montreal, Quebec, the architect and former curator of Amman Design Week has, among many other experiences, also founded and directed Platform 27 (a hybrid learning space open to artist residencies). «From the Levant to the Gulf and North Africa, my practice narrates the Arab world for what it is: a kaleidoscope of cultures, where historical heritage has deep roots and the geography is unique. Our regional craft scene is fascinating for three reasons: the respect with which communities use natural resources and materials; the fact that it is deeply rooted yet connected to modernity; and the fact that craft is a practice that fosters community bonds». For Beiruti, craft in the Arabian Peninsula is a powerful tool for negotiation between past and present, heritage and future, handmade and digital.
«For us, design is the possibility of shaping the cultural landscape we inhabit», an approach quite similar to that of Sara Ghani, curator of Design Space AlUla: «In a region like ours, with so many fissures between past and present, creativity can help build a dialogue between a deeply local dimension and a more contemporary drive towards internationalization».
This approach is echoed in the curatorial practice of Beatrice Leanza, an Italian with a decidedly cosmopolitan profile, who served as creative director of Beijing Design Week from 2013 to 2016, a city where she lived for 17 years. «The question to ask today is: in light of the major global changes we are experiencing, for whom and what are we designing today?» This is the starting point for her curatorial project for the Saudi Pavilion at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale. Strongly championed by the Saudi Architecture & Design Commission, chaired by Sumayah Al-Solaiman (yes, her again), and the Ministry of Culture, ‘Um Slaim School’ is not just an exhibition, but a school model for experimenting with new educational programs. Together with Sara Alissa and Nojoud Alsudairi, founders of Syn Architects, Leanza maps the movements of new generations to interpret the built environment and reimagine the unbuilt. The focus on emerging design is a distinctive feature of Leanza’s work in the field: «For me, it is a powerful tool for participation capable of responding to today’s urgencies». Her area of focus is the historic center of Riyadh, where Najdi vernacular architecture, linked to traditional mud constructions, serves as a bridging practice useful for informing new urban visions.
This deep dive into local history connects with Natasha Carella‘s work: «Dynamic, layered, and collaborative. That’s how I like to describe the creative scene of Dubai Design Week», emphasizes the event’s curator. «Ours is an experimental space deeply rooted in SWANA. The geographical area of Southwest Asia and North Africa is extremely multifaceted, also in terms of design culture: a synthesis of tradition and modernity, design is the umbrella under which local craftsmanship and vernacular knowledge converge to influence contemporary practices». Everywhere in this region, creativity is enveloped in a sense of resilience and ingenuity that restore design’s role as an agent. «The festival is an opportunity to demonstrate that design can address today’s urgencies, such as environmental crisis, migration, and inequalities», Carella concludes. The challenge is real, but the opportunity is even greater. The Emirates are a young and ambitious country where over 70% of the population is under 35: «Here, the generational shift is already a reality», the curators agree. Here, the world is viewed through different eyes.
