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Middle East · Saudi Arabia · Riyadh · Jeddah

Offices and institutions in Saudi Arabia: who commissions art, and what the walls need

Saudi corporate art is bought at two ends and thinly in the middle. The Social Development Bank's Art Bank has drawn more than 6,730 submitted works from over 2,540 Saudi artists to decorate its Riyadh headquarters and seven branches, and Dubai consultancies place hundreds of pieces per building in KAFD and Diriyah 525457. The firms moving into KAFD — EY across 14 floors, Bain on Level 41 — describe interiors that reflect Saudi regions but name no art supplier 6465. Riyadh retail stops at about 200 cm; a larger hand-painted panel is a 6–14 week custom order 334297. Below: who commissions, what each space needs, and what to ask a supplier.

Riyadh office space targeted by 2030
4.8 million m² of new office, with 340,000 homes and 30,000 hotel rooms376
EY MENA regional HQ, KAFD (Sept 2025)
14 floors across two towers; 1,900 employees; three times the previous office64
Art Bank submissions (Sept 2025)
6,730+ works from 2,540+ Saudi artists in 221 cities and regions52
Kimpton KAFD Riyadh art programme (2025)
491 artworks; 33% Saudi, 16% MENA, 51% international artists54
The Executive Centre, Building 2.08 KAFD (July 2026)
9,500 m² over five floors, each themed on a Saudi landscape66
Largest hand-painted panel at Riyadh retail (2026)
220 × 150 cm from SAR 6,110; custom 60–300 cm; 6–14 weeks297

Who in Saudi Arabia commissions art for offices and institutions?

The documented buyers are a state bank with a national acquisition platform, the developers and hotel operators of KAFD and Diriyah working through art consultancies, and a growing layer of regional headquarters whose fit-outs are published without any art credit 505464.

Government and state institutions. The Social Development Bank launched Art Bank in 2022 with the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts, decorated its Riyadh headquarters with Saudi paintings and crafts in phase one, and on 27 July 2025 launched 'Art Bank 7' to furnish seven major branches 5051. By September 2025 over 2,540 artists had submitted more than 6,730 works; the 2023 catalogue held 392 paintings, 180 handicrafts, about 45 sculptures and 251 weavings, with government entities and business-sector companies named as the target buyers for headquarters decoration 5253. No contract values or dimensions have been published 5053.

Developers, hotels and their consultancies. The largest published programmes run through Dubai-based Capsule Arts: 491 artworks for the Kimpton KAFD hotel (2025), 449 for Bab Samhan in Diriyah, 71 for the Sofitel Riyadh (2026), and, for a commercial building, 53 artworks and 28 commissions for the Diriyah Sales Centre in 2023 with 75% Saudi artists 541895657. Signature Line reports 1,500+ custom pieces for W Riyadh, whose lobby is anchored by a six-metre tapestry by Abdulnasser Gharem 185183. Riyadh-based suppliers publish less: Gallery Naila (2012) works with corporations and government entities with its own installation team, and the gallery-store Zaitia says it works with more than 150 interior design offices 32012.

Banks and professional firms. Saudi National Bank's 20,000 m² headquarters fit-out at KAFD (2023–2024) was published by its contractor with no artworks or feature walls 63. EY MENA moved 1,900 employees into 14 floors across two KAFD towers in September 2025, Bain more than doubled its Riyadh office on Level 41 of Building 1.15 in April 2025 with 'design elements reflecting different regions of Saudi Arabia', and Greenberg Traurig moved to the Kingdom Centre in August 2026 amid a wave of law-firm relocations; none names an artwork or art supplier 646567. Riyadh studios list office and clinic work in the same silence — A-Interiors' Murafaat Law Firm office, Nebras Aljoaib's 'The HQ', Aljeel's clinics — while DnA Interiors is the exception, offering art consultancy sourced through 'local and international artists and art galleries' 118114131121.

Every published brief asks for Saudi identity — Art Bank's heritage works, Diriyah's Najdi paper-cuts, Kimpton's Riyadh-landscape brief, the region-themed EY and Bain floors and The Executive Centre's landscape-themed floors at Building 2.08 — which suggests a supplier who cannot speak to place will not be shortlisted 5457646566. Demand is outrunning documented supply: Riyadh has over 20,000 dollar millionaires (2024 count), up 65% over the decade, and is targeted to add 4.8 million m² of office space by 2030 358376.

Glass office towers of the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh, photographed in June 2022.
KAFD's towers are the office and hotel stock that regional headquarters are moving into — long reception walls that ask for one large work rather than several small ones. — Ahmed, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

What scale and format does each corporate space need?

Published Saudi lobby pieces run from 4 to 11 metres, hotel guidance for corridors is a repeating series of 80 × 120 cm and 60 × 90 cm canvases, and the largest hand-painted panels sold in Riyadh stop at 220 × 150 cm, so a headquarters floor needs one or two works above 2 m and a rhythm of 1–1.5 m pieces elsewhere 183185193297. No source gives office ceiling heights for Riyadh towers; the sizes below come from installed hotel work and local retail, and the office guidance is inference.

SpaceWhat the evidence showsScale and format (inference)
Lobby and receptionW Riyadh's lobby is anchored by a six-metre tapestry and a 10 × 11 m chain curtain; JW Marriott Riyadh's reception desk is seven metres wide; Safaya's hotel guide recommends a 192 × 108 cm feature-wall canvas 183185196193.One work 2.5–4 m (98–157 in) wide behind the desk, or a pair; a tower atrium takes 3 m+ (118 in+) verticals.
BoardroomKimpton KAFD's meeting rooms take photography and contemporary calligraphy; Bain and EY describe leadership floors that reflect Saudi regions 546465.A single 2–2.5 m (79–98 in) horizontal on the end wall facing the chair, calm enough not to fight a screen.
Corridors and open-planKimpton's corridors carry 'micro fractal artworks'; Safaya alternates 80 × 120 and 60 × 90 cm canvases with uniform frames; The Executive Centre themes whole floors on landscapes 5419366.Series of three to six matched works at 90–150 cm (35–59 in), one palette per floor.
Executive floors and reception majlisEY gives three floors to regional leadership; a Riyadh artist markets an AlUla print at SAR 7,699 for 'executive offices'; a Gulf luxury-majlis specification sets a 4.2 m minimum ceiling and 7.4 m lateral walls 648590.Horizontals of 2–3 m (79–118 in) above perimeter seating in the majlis; 1.5–2 m (59–79 in) in partner offices.
Waiting areas and clinicsAljeel lists clinics among its interior types; Sayidaty's majlis guidance treats landmark paintings as appropriate reception subjects 131344.Calm landscape, seascape or textured work at 120–180 cm (47–71 in) above seating.

Palette and subject. Riyadh designers keep the base 'minimal and calm' so artworks stand out, and the Najdi triangle now appears 'in malls, offices, airports and gardens', which suggests sand, cream, gold and clay geometry reads as local in a Riyadh lobby; Jeddah's register is coral stone and roshan lattice 111349350. Fatwas permit hanging verses and the names of Allah, Ibn Baz ruled that hand-painted pictures of living beings be taken down, yet retailers and auctions trade horses, camels and figurative scenes 807788316. For a corporate reception the low-risk default is calligraphy, landscape, abstract and heritage architecture, with figurative work on request for private offices (inference); the flag and shahada are not used as decoration 7797.

Where local supply stops. Riyadh retail is thin above 2 m: the national chains stop at 200 × 150 cm (79 × 59 in), a Riyadh showroom's custom panels at 300 cm in 6–14 weeks, and above that the price is a named Saudi artist's, from SAR 20,000 for 150 × 150 cm to SAR 110,000 for 205 × 175 cm (September 2026) 33429711; the full price table is on the local supply page. A made-to-order original above 2 m, in the palette of the floor, is the piece Riyadh retail does not stock; iHomeArt paints 1,455 originals to any size, 106 of them in panoramic format.

Sculptural white interior of the KAFD metro station in Riyadh designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, February 2025.
Inside KAFD Metro Station (2025): the fluid, monochrome contemporary language of Riyadh's new public buildings — a taste that carries into Contemporary Minimalist and Wabi-Sabi work. — Kolaiel, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Facade of the King Fahd National Library in Riyadh with a diamond-pattern textile shading screen, 2016.
King Fahd National Library, Riyadh: Arabian geometric pattern re-cut as a modern facade — the same move designers make when they choose Geometric abstraction for a Saudi lobby. — Mrcosch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

From the catalogue

Bold statement works for hotel lobbies, reception halls and office atria (200 cm+) 251

Boardroom and executive-floor works for the KAFD headquarters (200 cm+) 186

Works already listed at 250 cm and above — the two-metre-plus villa and palace brief 177

What does a Saudi corporate buyer need from an art supplier?

A specification per wall, a certificate per work, evidence during production and a delivery that arrives ready to hang — because the local market's published failures are on exactly those points 301193297.

  • Spec sheet per location. Artelier's hotel method identifies key art locations and sets ideal sizes per project; Safaya fixes lead times at proposal stage 192193. Ask for a schedule of wall, work, size in cm, finish and hanging height before painting starts.
  • Provenance. Art Bank's buyers want 'Saudi national artworks' and Capsule Arts publishes the Saudi, MENA and international share of every roster 5354. A supplier should say who painted the work and issue a signed certificate; iHomeArt signs every piece and provides one.
  • Progress evidence. Mille quotes 6–14 weeks and Maha Home one month for a made-to-order piece (sizes from 130 × 105 cm) 29715. Ask for progress photos or video with stage-by-stage approval; iHomeArt's cycle is about one week to paint plus 3–7 days transit, 10–13 days door to door, free insured shipping by DHL, FedEx or USPS.
  • Ready to hang. One-star Amazon.sa reviews are about canvases arriving 'without a frame, just fabric' 301. Specify rolled, stretched or framed — iHomeArt offers gold, silver, black, white and wood — and who installs; Gallery Naila and Zaitia both install in Riyadh, and Zaitia guarantees its colours will not change 32012.
  • Staged delivery. Capsule Arts' programmes run to 449–491 pieces per building 54189. Phase the schedule by floor; iHomeArt's minimum order is one piece, volume pricing starts at 10, and quotes come within one business day.
  • Contract terms. Under the Saudi E-Commerce Law regulations, custom-made items are excluded from the seven-day cancellation right unless defective, so sketch and progress approvals are the buyer's protection 48.
Riyadh north skyline in 2016: Kingdom Tower, Majdoul Tower and the King Abdullah Financial District towers under a clear sky.
Riyadh is where most of the Kingdom's corporate offices, five-star hotels and new villas are being fitted out, and its skyline is the obvious Cityscape motif for a lobby. — B.alotaby, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Which catalogue cuts fit Saudi corporate walls?

The published briefs ask for place and calm: neutral bases, Najdi geometry, desert and Red Sea palettes, and works large enough for 6–11 m lobby walls 111349183185. Live counts below; every work can be painted larger and in a changed palette.

  • Contemporary Minimalist neutrals for corridors and open-plan floors, where the base stays quiet 111.
  • Geometric works in sand, cream, gold and clay — the Alfuraj triangle register already seen in Riyadh offices 349.
  • Textured & Plaster in the desert palette for the reception majlis, beside plaster walls and gilded pilasters 90.
  • Dune landscapes and Red Sea seascapes for Jeddah and coastal offices, the landmark subjects Saudi guidance treats as appropriate 34486.
  • Tall verticals of 250 cm+ for atria and lift lobbies, where a 6 m wall needs height rather than width 183.

From the catalogue

Contemporary Minimalist in white, cream, beige and grey — the calm base Riyadh designers build on 73

Geometric works in sand, cream, gold and clay — the Najdi plaster-and-triangle register 151

Textured & Plaster in sand, cream, terracotta and gold — the desert palette of the Riyadh villa and the Red Sea resort 119

Landscapes in dune sand, ochre, clay and mountain brown 93

Seascapes in Red Sea blue, turquoise and white — Jeddah, the Corniche and the coastal resorts 111

Tall vertical works for the double-height entrance hall and stair void (250 cm+) 54

A regional headquarters floor in KAFD — illustrative schedule (hypothetical)

An illustrative schedule built from catalogue references, not a client project. Every piece would be painted to the wall's own dimensions.

SpaceWorkSizeReferences
Ground-floor lobby, wall behind the reception deskAbstract in gold, cream and brown, panoramic sweeping arcs254 × 127 cm (100 × 50 in), or painted to 400 × 150 cm (157 × 59 in) for the wallAA#755
Lift lobby, double-height wallAbstract in beige, brown and white, calm vertical127 × 254 cm (50 × 100 in) verticalAA#443
Boardroom end wall facing the chairAbstract blue ridges under gold-flecked clouds, panoramic254 × 127 cm (100 × 50 in)AA#853
Reception majlis, band above perimeter seatingTextured & Plaster carved peaks in gold, white and grey, panoramic254 × 127 cm (100 × 50 in)TA#003
Chairman's floor client loungeWabi-Sabi ivory cloud band with pale gold light254 × 127 cm (100 × 50 in)WA#369
Partner offices (two)Impressionist grey-blue sea, pale sand and a gold accent; Contemporary Minimalist cream field with gold speckling183 × 183 cm (72 × 72 in); 254 × 127 cm (100 × 50 in)IA#843, MA#181
Executive corridor, series of three verticalsContemporary Minimalist in black on beige and white: a single-line drawing, brush loops, and a spun black-and-grey disc3 × 122 × 153 cm (48 × 60 in)MA#013, MA#775, MA#052
Open-plan breakout wallContemporary Minimalist bands of gold, combed white plaster, black and ochre153 × 203 cm (60 × 80 in)MA#084
Waiting area outside the boardroomTextured & Plaster sage green leaves on white, calming203 × 102 cm (80 × 40 in)TA#146

Questions buyers in Saudi Arabia ask

Is there a public tender route for corporate art in Saudi Arabia?
Not that this research found. Art Bank is an acquisition platform for government and corporate headquarters with no published contract values, and the KAFD hotel programmes were sourced privately through consultancies such as Capsule Arts and Signature Line 535054185.
How large should a lobby painting be in a Riyadh tower?
Installed Riyadh lobby pieces run from W Riyadh's six-metre tapestry to a 10 × 11 m chain curtain, while a Saudi hotel-art guide suggests 192 × 108 cm for a feature wall; a 2.5–4 m work, or a matched pair, sits between the two (inference) 183185193.
Which subjects are safe for a corporate reception?
Calligraphy, landscape, abstract and heritage architecture. Fatwas permit hanging verses and names of Allah, Ibn Baz ruled that pictures of living beings be taken down, and the flag and shahada are not used as decoration, so figurative and animal subjects are best offered on request 807797.
Do Saudi corporate briefs require Saudi artists?
Often in part. Art Bank buys only from Saudi artists, Capsule Arts' KAFD and Diriyah programmes ran 33–75% Saudi rosters with the rest MENA and international, and the Diriyah Sales Centre was 100% Arab, so mixed collections with a clear local reference are the pattern 505457.
Which trade fairs do Riyadh fit-out and procurement teams attend?
INDEX Saudi Arabia, 15–17 September 2026 at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center, draws 200+ exhibitors and an audience of architects, procurement teams, hotel operators and fit-out contractors 139; Downtown Design Riyadh runs 15–18 September 2026 in the JAX District 140. Art Week Riyadh (April) put 32 galleries on stands with visible prices 28.
What did a Saudi commercial building actually commission?
The Diriyah Sales Centre (2023) took 53 artworks, 28 artist commissions and 600+ accessories from Capsule Arts, with every artist Arab and 75% Saudi: textile embroideries, framed paper-cuts inspired by Najdi architecture, photographs of At-Turaif and framed traditional dress 57. It is the one published commercial-building programme in the evidence.
Can a corporate buyer cancel a custom painting after delivery?
Under the Saudi E-Commerce Law regulations in force since January 2020, consumers may cancel within seven days of receipt, but custom-made items are excluded unless defective, so approval at sketch and progress stages is the buyer's real protection 48.

Working with us from Saudi Arabia

Send a wall size, a palette or a reference code. We quote within one business day, paint to your dimensions, send progress photographs for approval, and deliver free and insured in about ten to thirteen days.

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Researched 2026-09-12. Prices and figures are as published by the sources on the dates shown.