As the creative and cultural landscape has evolved rapidly in the past few years, so has Saudi Design Week and its successor, Saudi Design Festival. The organising team activated their developed network to start a design forum and exhibition in its first edition. SDW was able to gain support to sustain its existence on an annual basis. The organisation also sought to expand the format further, creating relevant content locally while also undertaking international opportunities to showcase Saudi design. It continues to strengthen the legitimacy of design as an essential component of business and economic development in Saudi Arabia.