For some years now the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has been undergoing a colossal period of transformation and modernization. Particularly since Mohammed bin Salman – commonly known as MBS – was invested crown prince by his father King Salman in 2017, the country has been geared towards what is known as “Vision 2030”. Decisive social and economic reforms have been launched, for example, the abolition of the segregation of the sexes, the strengthening of women’s rights, reduction of clerical influence or the diversification of industry from the hitherto still overpowering dependence on the exploitation of fossil fuels. Thus, nearly everybody who has experienced of the previously secluded and almost isolated Saudi Arabia of the past decades confirms that the country is barely recognizable. All of this is obviously supported by the large majority of Saudi people who are in favour of a more liberal economy and an open society.

In Vision 2030 architecture plays a vital role, a role which has become known by the phrase “Salmani Architecture”: “By creating a firm foundation for Salmani Architecture and sustaining a commitment to the authentic values that King Salman established, the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism represents a new phase in the Kingdom’s urban renaissance, preserving its identity and culture by paying homage to a unique aesthetic and spirit consistent with the sustainability practices championed by Saudi Arabia since the foundation of the country.” (King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism) In other words, instead of simply adopting and copying influences from architecture worldwide, the aesthetic design agenda has been founded strongly on nation’s own cultural heritage. Therefore, Salmani Architecture could be described as a culturally contextualized modernism.

Saudi Arabia is a huge country, rich in its own cultural history and storming ahead with a tremendous rate of urbanization. Its level has increased from 21% in 1950 to a nowadays staggering 83% of the population living in cities like Jeddah, the two holy cities Mecca and Medina as well as the Eastern Region bordering on Kuwait, Quatar and the Arabian Gulf. However, Riyadh with approximately 8 million inhabitants is by far the largest, the political centre and hence the economically most influential city in Saudi Arabia.

However, in all of this lies an enormous challenge for the largest country in the Middle East and the world’s third largest exporter of oil and gas. How to amalgamate the sometimes questionable blessings of modernism in a country that is undergoing such a radical transformation? Thereby, especially the elusive quality of contingency inherent in Modernism poses questions. Whereas in the established western welfare states modernity nowadays often causes nausea and widespread scepticism or even anger and despair, in the comparatively young KSA – in 2022 63% of the population of 37 million were under thirty years of age – modernity is strongly linked with an enthusiastic celebration of progress. The mega-events and the giga-projects of the next decade will enhance and accelerate the speed of transformation even further.

The present Bauwelt issue No. 22 shall mainly focus on the capital Riyadh. We deem it to be an adequate representation of what is going on in the rest of the country. Moreover, it is in Riyadh where the transformation of the modern Saudi Arabia began.