Majid Al-Futtaim brings Italian furniture brand Poltrona Frau to KSA

Located on the first floor of Centria Mall, the new 320-square-meter store offers curated lifestyle settings and a dedicated material library.
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Updated 31 May 2025
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Majid Al-Futtaim brings Italian furniture brand Poltrona Frau to KSA

Majid Al-Futtaim, a shopping malls, communities, retail, and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia, has announced the opening of Poltrona Frau’s first standalone store in Saudi Arabia at Centria Mall in Riyadh, marking a key milestone in the brand’s regional growth. The store marks Poltrona Frau’s third location in the GCC and part of Majid Al-Futtaim’s broader strategy to expand its premium home offering across the Middle East.

Located on the first floor of Centria Mall, Riyadh’s premier destination for luxury and international fashion, the new 320-square-meter store offers curated lifestyle settings and a dedicated material library, which offers clients a hands-on opportunity to customize their interiors with an haute couture approach. Inspired by the warmth and intimacy of a contemporary home, the space was designed by multidisciplinary studio AMDL CIRCLE under the direction of architect Michele De Lucchi, and features layered textures, warm tones, and artisan-crafted details.

Fahed Ghanim, CEO of Majid Al-Futtaim Lifestyle, said: “Saudi Arabia is a key growth market for Majid Al-Futtaim and Poltrona Frau, as demand for premium, design-led living continues to rise. This opening builds on the brand’s strong momentum following the world’s first mall-based Poltrona Frau store at Mall of the Emirates and the launch of its localized e-commerce platform. It reflects our strategy to scale global brands across the region while delivering curated, high-quality omnichannel experiences.” 




Fahed Ghanim, CEO of Majid Al-Futtaim Lifestyle

Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau, said: “Following successful openings in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and São Paulo, our presence in Riyadh strengthens our position in a region increasingly aligned with our values of timeless elegance and artisanal quality. In partnership with Majid Al-Futtaim, this flagship store in Saudi Arabia will support both our residential and contract business growth, enabling us to serve both private clients and large-scale projects across hospitality, corporate, and public spaces.”

The new flagship store will feature Poltrona Frau’s most celebrated icons, including the 1919 armchair, the Vanity XC armchair, the Archibald sofa, pieces from The Five Seasons Collection of 2025 and highlights from the 2024 Imagine Collection. The Blisscape Sofa by Ludovica Serafini + Roberto Palomba, will be unveiled for the first time regionally, following its debut at the Salone del Mobile and its direct arrival from the Milan flagship store. Also on display is the Mallorca Rug from Sahrai’s Underwaterlife summer collection, alongside products from Ceccotti Collezioni, the Tuscan woodworking atelier acquired by Poltrona Frau in 2018.

To mark the opening, a Poltrona Frau master artisan will demonstrate the brand’s handcrafting techniques live in-store, providing a rare glimpse into the savoir-faire that has defined the brand for over a century. The activation echoes the values of L’Atelier dei Saperi, a recently launched initiative aimed at preserving and passing on artisanal skills through intergenerational mentorship.

Poltrona Frau’s entry into the Saudi market marks a strategic milestone in its regional expansion, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to meeting the growing demand for timeless, design-led living across the GCC. In partnership with Majid Al-Futtaim, the brand is set for sustained growth as it continues to strengthen its presence in the region’s most influential luxury destinations.


25,000 attend Social Development Bank’s DeveGO25 forum

Updated 1 min 45 sec ago
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25,000 attend Social Development Bank’s DeveGO25 forum

The Social Development Bank concluded the second edition of the Entrepreneurship and Modern Business Practices Forum — DeveGo 2025 — announcing the achievement of high-impact outcomes that further reinforced the forum’s position as the largest national platform in the region dedicated to entrepreneurship, innovation, and freelance work in Saudi Arabia and beyond. 

The forum witnessed broad participation from local and international experts, investors, entrepreneurs, and representatives of local, regional, and international institutions.

Over three days at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center, the forum drew 25,000 participants and visitors, who benefited from over 45 specialized workshops and over 2500 advisory sessions delivered by more than 70 consultants and experts. 

The sessions covered key areas including entrepreneurial planning, business models, venture capital, digital platforms, freelancing, and emerging technologies. 

The forum also featured 20 panel discussions with leading local and international speakers, addressing major global trends in entrepreneurship, including the future of artificial intelligence, the creative economy, digital transformation, and venture investment. 

The forum saw the launch of the Saudi Empretec Fellowship, in the presence of Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development. 

The partners in success within the Social Responsibility Portfolio supporting entrepreneurs were honored. 

It also saw the honoring of 13 winners of the Handicrafts Competition, representing various regions of the Kingdom, the announcement of winners of the Salam Award for Promising Projects, and the recognition of leading entrepreneurial projects fund under the Enterprises Track. 

In addition, the NEXT UP Challenge concluded on the third day of the forum with 20 startups presenting their projects to more than 500 investors, enhancing opportunities for networking and partnership building.

As part of efforts to strengthen the support ecosystem, the forum witnessed the signing of 51 agreements, along with the launch of a suite of new financing products. These included the Capital Expansion Product with a ceiling of up to SR10 million, the Payroll Product with a ceiling of SR2 million, and the Rental Product with a ceiling of SR1.5 million, aimed at supporting enterprises in asset development and covering operational costs. 

This reflects the bank’s direction toward offering more specialized financing tools that respond effectively to market needs.

The forum concluded by reaffirming its role as a unifying national platform for entrepreneurship, where accompanying activities and events provided direct engagement opportunities between entrepreneurs, investors, and experts. 

The forum also highlighted success stories and practical experiences that reflect the scale of entrepreneurial momentum in the Kingdom and the growing role of the Social Development Bank in supporting a national economy driven by innovation and knowledge.