At the end of June 2022, the Saudi Architecture and Design Commission overseeing the development of the sector in Saudi Arabia traveled to Katowice in Poland to participate in the eleventh session of the World Urban Forum. In addition to their participation, the commission also introduced an exhibition to showcase the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism.
Launched last year, the first stage of the activation strategy of the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism saw the publication of the Charter, a traveling exhibition, the announcement of the Charter’s awards, and the launch of several services and incentives.
World Urban Forum
Established in 2001, the World Urban Forum - also known as WUF - is a distinguished international conference organized by the United Nations that occurs every two years. The conference seeks to discuss a crucial contemporary issue: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. As the first and largest global conference on sustainable urbanization, the WUF hosts over twenty thousand participants from all over the world to discuss municipal policies, transformation and development.
Eleventh World Urban Forum
From the 26th to 30th of June, the city of Katowice, one of the biggest business centers in Poland, received all 11 WUF participants. This year’s theme, entitled “Transforming our Cities for a Better Urban Future”, aimed to define future cities that work together with existing trends, challenges and opportunities. The forum explored solutions to make cities safer, greener and overall better places to live, with an exchange of ideas from participants. The conference was jointly organized by UN-Habitat, Poland’s Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and the Municipal Office of Katowice.
King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism
Aimed at creating urban designs that acknowledge the country’s rich culture and identity and celebrate its heritage whilst emulating the future, the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism aspires to improve the quality of life for all residents. According to the aesthetic appeal of Salmani architecture, and with the guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the design process is based on six core values: authenticity, continuity, human-centricity, livability, innovation and sustainability.
Following a similar theme to that of the forum, the launch of Saudi Arabia’s urbanization strategy aims to raise global awareness of the Charter and inspire future projects of both architects and designers. After touring five cities in Saudi Arabia - Riyadh, Abha, Jeddah, Dhahran and Medina - the commission made its international debut at the WUF, showing exemplary projects that enhance the vision developed in the Riyadh region.
The commission took part in a panel discussion as part of the Urban Library Event at WUF to introduce the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism book. There, different authorities spoke about the Charter’s values, strategy and applications. The panel comprised Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman, CEO of the Saudi Architecture and Design Commission; Sumaya Dabbagh, founder of Dabbagh Architects; and Daniel Ringelstein, Director of Master Planning and Urban Design of Arup Group.
According to Al-Solaiman, “Our participation at WUF 2022 opens new horizons for applying the Charter and presents an excellent opportunity to introduce the international public to its methodology. By showcasing how the Charter has already improved the built environment, we highlighted the range of circumstances in which the Charter can be applied to improve quality of life in Saudi Arabia, and further afield.”
The King Salman Charter represents a new phase in the Kingdom’s urban renaissance. Seeking to build on its identity and culture preservation, the Charter captures the essence of Salmani Architecture. Characterized by its connection to local heritage and a firm intention of concept and form, Salmani Architecture absorbs the diversity of modern architecture while maintaining its value-based approach. Simultaneously, it handles a strategic foundation for the future of both architecture and urbanization while considering Saudi Arabia’s history and culture.
