Global call open until November 28, 2025 – celebrating craftsmanship, sustainability, and innovation in the heart of Saudi Arabia
The AlUla Design Award has extended its call for entries until November 28, 2025, welcoming designers, artisans, and studios from across the globe. Now in its fourth edition, the award—initiated by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)—reinforces AlUla’s vision as a global crossroads for design, culture, and innovation.
This initiative bridges tradition and future, positioning craftsmanship as a universal creative language. It also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s 2025 “Year of Crafts”, a national celebration of the country’s rich artisanal heritage.
2025–2026 Theme: The Ingenuity of the Human Hand
The 2025 edition invites designers to explore the human hand as a tool of invention and storytelling.
From Nabataean sandstone tombs to geometric plasterwork and symbolic embroidery, AlUla’s craftsmanship embodies centuries of artistry and identity.
Participants are encouraged to reinterpret these traditions through a contemporary lens, weaving together heritage, sustainability, and innovation. The goal: to create designs that honor the creative gesture while shaping a responsible and forward-looking future.
Craftsmanship as a Catalyst for Design
The fourth edition of the AlUla Design Award celebrates craftsmanship as a driver of modern design thinking.
Selected projects will reimagine traditional techniques — from stone carving and Najdi plasterwork to textiles and embroidery — through an experimental and sustainable approach.
Designers are encouraged to rethink materials and methods, valuing local resources and ecological practices. Each project should embody harmony between people, place, and culture.
Key Dates to Remember
- Call for entries: October 17 – November 28, 2025
- Finalists announced: December 2025
- Exhibition, Awards Ceremony & Opening of the AlUla Design Store: January 23, 2026
Awards and Opportunities
Winners of the AlUla Design Award 2025 will gain exceptional visibility and creative development opportunities:
- Prototyping and development of selected designs
- Travel and invitation to the award ceremony in AlUla
- International media exposure through global campaigns
- Integration into AlUla’s growing creative ecosystem
- €6,800 cash prize for each of the two categories: Fashion Design e Product Design
Who Can Apply
The competition is open worldwide to professional designers, teams, and studios. Projects must be original, sustainable, and aligned with the 2025–2026 theme “The Ingenuity of the Human Hand.” The jury will select one winner per category, recognizing creativity, feasibility, and the spirit of AlUla.
AlUla: A Living Design Laboratory
Through the AlUla Design Award, the city continues to grow as a living laboratory of creativity and innovation.
Here, artisans, designers, and thinkers collaborate to develop a design language rooted in heritage yet open to the future.
This initiative forms part of the Royal Commission for AlUla’s mission to build a sustainable cultural economy, nurture emerging talent, and position Saudi Arabia as a global design destination.
Design AlUla: Where the Past Inspires the Future
In AlUla, design and place merge. Every project arises from the dialogue between history, nature, and innovation, translating ancient materials and forms into new creative expressions. Here, design becomes a language of connection and discovery, reinterpreting tradition through a contemporary vision. AlUla invites designers to experiment, collaborate, and imagine — crafting new futures where the human hand remains at the heart of creation.
Apply here and join the global movement celebrating the creative power of the human hand.
