Saudi Arabia Pavilion Reflects on the True Cost of Free Water

Returning to the London Design Biennale for the fourth time, Saudi Arabia unveiled a deceptively simple yet deeply resonant installation titled Good Water, touching on themes of genorsity and sustainable consumption.

Conceived by a multidisciplinary design collective comprising of Alaa Tarabzouni, Aziz Jamal, Dur Kattan, and Fahad bin Naif — and commissioned by the Architecture and Design Commission of Saudi Arabia, the pavilion is a philosophical provocation. Through the reimagining of the sabeel, a traditional free water fountain found across Saudi Arabia, and the region, the pavilion challenges viewers to reconsider the meaning of generosity, the economics of water, and the unseen systems that underpin our most basic resources.

At the heart of the Saudi Pavilion is the sabeel— an icon of hospitality, often seen as a public good. But in this setting, it becomes something else: a loaded question. What is the cost of “free” water? Who bears that cost?

In Saudi Arabia, where desalination supplies more than 60% of the country’s potable water, these questions strike at the core of environmental and economic realities. While the sabeel traditionally offers a symbolic act of kindness, Good Water reframes it as a site of inquiry — an architectural prompt to think deeply about access, infrastructure, and equity.

Alaa Tarabzouni, Aziz Jamal, Dur Kattan and Fahad bin Naif comment: “The pavilion uses familiar elements to draw attention to water’s hidden economies, encouraging the visitors to drink with awareness, to acknowledge the price, and to understand that while the cost of free (good) water is borne by someone else, it truly costs everyone. In cities where sabeel are commonplace, their presence is often taken for granted, their function seen as a simple act of public service. But by relocating this familiar structure to the London Design Biennale, where water scarcity is not an everyday concern, we reframe it as an object of scrutiny. We aim to force a shift in perception, making the invisible visible, the passive active.”

From Hospitality to Interdependence

The installation embodies contradiction: water is offered freely, yet behind each sip lies a chain of extraction, energy consumption, labour, and global trade. These systems are rarely visible in everyday life, particularly in regions where water flows from taps without interruption.

In contrast, Saudi Arabia’s hyper-engineered water networks remind us that access is not a given — it is manufactured, subsidised, and precarious.

“Desalination is central to the discussion,” the curators clarify. “While accessible and heavily subsidised, it carries both environmental and economic burdens.” This is especially relevant as Saudi Arabia remains the largest producer of desalinated water globally.

Site-Specific but Universally Resonant

While deeply rooted in Saudi traditions, Good Water addresses global concerns. The choice to present the pavilion as a site-specific installation at Somerset House in London—where water scarcity is not a daily issue—makes the message all the more impactful. The juxtaposition invites Western audiences to re-evaluate their own consumption habits and challenges assumptions around abundance.

“By relocating this familiar structure to London, where water scarcity is not an everyday concern, we reframe it as an object of scrutiny,” the team states.

Dialogue, Not Resolution

Unlike many eco-design interventions that present solutions, the Saudi Pavilion embraces ambiguity. There are no proposed alternatives to water management, no idealistic blueprints. Instead, Good Water functions as a space for contemplation.

“It is not prescriptive,” the curators assert. “The pavilion invites visitors to grapple with complex questions around water distribution, ethics, and infrastructure. Shifting perception is the first step toward reimagining possible futures.”

By focusing on a universal yet increasingly contested resource, the Saudi Pavilion also positions water not as a commodity but as a sacred and collective right. The installation becomes a reminder that the infrastructures sustaining modern life are not neutral; they are entangled in politics, power, and environmental impact.

A Collective of New Voices

The power of Good Water is not only conceptual but also cultural, shaped by a team of designers whose practices span architecture, urban design, sculpture, and public art. Their voices reflect a new Saudi generation engaging with issues of sustainability, identity, and global dialogue.

Alaa Tarabzouni, trained in architecture and cultural enterprise, is known for context-driven installations. Aziz Jamal, a multidisciplinary artist, weaves humor and consumerism into thought-provoking experiences. Dur Kattan, with a background in public and interactive art, explores communal engagement. Fahad bin Naif, an award-winning architect and artist, focuses on urban interventions and socio-spatial systems.

Together, they offer a rare combination of academic rigour, regional specificity, and curatorial sensitivity, exactly the kind of voices needed to shape design discourse on the world stage.

Design as Cultural Diplomacy

As part of Saudi Arabia’s cultural strategy under Vision 2030, the Architecture and Design Commission has used the London Design Biennale as a platform for storytelling and soft power. CEO Dr. Sumayah Al-Sulaiman emphasises, “Saudi Arabia’s return to the London Design Biennale is a new chapter in our commitment to design as a tool for dialogue and cultural exchange.”

In an era where design often chases spectacle, Saudi Arabia’s Good Water stands apart for its restraint, clarity, and critical depth. It does not propose a future plan — it asks if we can truly afford to ignore the present. By starting with a simple sip of water, it invites us to rethink priorities.