Saudis bring in Imagination to deliver 'Good Water' brief

Saudi Arabia has appointed global experience design agency Imagination to deliver its ‘Good Water’ proposition at the London Design Biennale 2025, in a move it claims has reaffirmed its commitment to design as a powerful tool for dialogue and cultural exchange.

Opening to the public this month at Somerset House, the Saudi Pavilion will invite audiences to explore the hidden infrastructures behind water distribution, highlighting the global significance of water as a scarce resource, with freshwater making up only 2.5% of all water on Earth.

Through an immersive installation inspired by the Sabeel, a traditional fountain symbolising generosity and hospitality, the pavilion aligns with the Biennale’s 2025 theme, Surface Reflections, and is aimed at prompting visitors to reflect on the unseen systems of labour, energy, and cost that make water accessible.

Commissioned by Saudi Arabia’s Architecture & Design Commission, this project is led by CEO Dr Sumayah Al-Solaiman, who champions the support of next-generation Saudi practitioners and the cultivation of creative practices that are both locally grounded and globally connected.

The Pavilion features a major exhibition installation, supported by public programming, film content, and a photographic catalogue.

It builds on Saudi Arabia’s expanding presence on the world’s cultural stage, reflecting the broader Vision 2030 ambition to amplify Saudi talent and contribute meaningfully to international design conversations.

Imagination’s end-to-end scope includes exhibition design and build, photographic catalogue production, visual identity, film content, social media management, international PR (via Pelham Communications), public programming, and full logistical delivery.

Working closely with the Saudi curatorial and design team – Alaa Tarabzouni, Aziz Jamal, Dur Kattan, and Fahad bin Naif – Imagination has been tasked with ensuring seamless integration of visual, spatial, and narrative elements that amplify the pavilion’s curatorial vision, which deliberately follows a “design without designers” approach, foregrounding raw, utilitarian infrastructure.

Dr Al-Solaiman said: “Good Water is more than an installation – it is a statement on the unseen systems and collective efforts that sustain life. Through this Pavilion, we are proud to showcase Saudi creative voices and to offer an experience that invites global audiences to reflect on the value of water, generosity, and shared responsibility.”

Imagination business director and head of live Ross Wheeler said: “We are proud to partner on the Saudi Pavilion at London Design Biennale 2025, bringing to life a meaningful and timely exploration of water as a global resource and highlighting the intentional design approach that lays bare the infrastructure behind this essential resource. This project exemplifies our commitment to creating experiences that not only engage but also provoke thought and spark dialogue across cultures.”