From responsive, sensor-enabled interiors to grand, stadium-scale visions, Saudi Arabia’s design landscape is embracing diverse ambitions with a clever edge. This week, Roar’s Tamara Taamneh delves into how AI-driven systems are quietly orchestrating homes that sense and adapt to our emotional needs automation you feel but never see.
In Riyadh, engineering firm Arup unveils its bold proposal for the 45,000-seat New Murabba Stadium a landmark steeped in cultural narrative yet fiercely modern in its tech-savvy design. Meanwhile, at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, HBA’s Tonic Bar crafts a subtler kind of luxury, layering hidden details that unfurl like the perfect mixologist’s pour.
These are more than static environments; they’re living experiences that anticipate, shift, and know precisely when to step back proof that Saudi design is redefining the very relationship between space and sensation.
Tamara Taamneh on humanizing AI in interior design
As Saudi Arabia accelerates toward Vision 2030, interior designers are transforming spaces into intelligent, responsive environments. Roar associate Tamara Taamneh observes a surge in demand for AI-powered elements circadian lighting, predictive climate systems, and discreet voice interfaces seamlessly woven into high-end, culturally attuned interiors.
“The new luxury is invisible tech,” Taamneh asserts.
Roar’s philosophy marries cutting-edge automation with rich, tactile materials so that technology amplifies rather than intrudes upon the design. Sensor-embedded furnishings and responsive surfaces dynamically reconfigure layouts, while AI-driven controls optimize energy use and foresee maintenance needs. Crucially, Taamneh emphasizes empathy in the user experience: multilingual, intuitive interfaces that welcome every guest rather than bewilder them.
Looking forward, she predicts Saudi Arabia will set the standard for emotionally intelligent interiors spaces that intuit cultural rhythms and individual preferences.
“Automation won’t just be a function. It’ll be a feeling,” she adds.
Arup Selected to Design 45,000-Seat New Murabba Stadium
The New Murabba Development Company (NMDC) has appointed Arup as the lead designer for Riyadh’s 45,000-seat New Murabba Stadium, following the release of initial concepts in July 2024. Situated within the 19 sq km New Murabba district, the 180,000 sq m stadium will anchor 18 new neighborhoods and draw inspiration from the Acacia tree native to Wadi Hanifa. Slated for completion in 2032, it is expected to feature prominently in Saudi Arabia’s 2034 FIFA World Cup plans. Arup’s scope includes design, planning, operational consultancy, and workflow optimization, all underpinned by sustainability and cutting-edge technology. The agreement, signed by NMDC CEO Michael Dyke and Arup Group CEO Jerome Frost, reinforces the project’s alignment with Vision 2030 and New Murabba’s broader downtown revitalization strategy.
HBA’s Tonic Bar shows that subtlety can still captivate.
The Tonic Bar at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, crafted by HBA MENA, transforms from a quietly elegant daytime lounge into a dynamic evening hotspot. Originally conceived as an extension of the Obaya Lounge, it evolved into an intimate beverage destination set behind retractable folding doors. Roy Posey, associate at HBA MENA, notes the design’s tightrope walk between minimalist restraint and rich, precise detailing.
A timber “canopy” ceiling and bespoke mirrored carpet cocoon guests in a warm, enveloping atmosphere, while layered mood lighting and a mix of textures add depth. Subtly Saudi-inspired carpets and art pieces root the design in local culture without resorting to clichés. The bar and back wall, clad in sumptuous stone and bronze, glow under alabaster sconces. Behind the scenes, hidden lighting systems and streamlined service zones ensure that luxury unfolds seamlessly proof that concealment can be its own statement.
