The invitation from ICE, the Italian Trade & Investment Agency, arrived with the formal elegance of institutional diplomacy, yet its message carried a spark. Five hundred Italian companies were called to meet another five hundred Saudi enterprises inside the stunning conference spaces of the Mandarin Oriental. A thousand business minds converging in one of the most rapidly transforming capitals in the world. From the moment I stepped off the plane, it was clear that Riyadh was not only ready for the future. It was already living in it.
Before the main event, IDM South Tyrol had already paved the way with meticulous precision. Months earlier they had opened a strategic office in Riyadh, and their presence on the ground was evident in the quality of the program they curated. The dinner they organized gathered influential figures from multiple sectors. Each conversation resonated with clarity of vision and a genuine curiosity about international collaboration. The following day unfolded as a sequence of highly targeted business meetings for South Tyrolean companies, each one unlocking new perspectives on what growth could look like in this part of the world.
The Mandarin Oriental meeting itself felt like entering a living organism fueled by ideas and ambition. Italian voices blended with Saudi voices, accompanied by the soft clinking of coffee cups filled with cardamom infused Saudi coffee. The light reflected off polished marble surfaces and modern geometric details. There was a warm flow to the interactions. People were direct, generous, and surprisingly open. Discussions did not revolve around what might be possible someday. They focused on what could be executed immediately.
During pauses between official sessions, I also reconnected with contacts we had been working with remotely for months. Meeting engineers involved in the construction of Riyadh’s rapidly expanding metro network was eye opening. The scale is difficult to grasp until you stand in front of the tunnels and architectural structures taking shape across the city. Event and special projects agencies added another dimension. Their ambition and aesthetic sensibility matched the broader rhythm of Riyadh. Big ideas here are welcomed, not feared.
The pace of the city became one of my most striking discoveries. Riyadh moves. It does not slow down, not even late at night. There is a buzzing density in the air, a sense of purposeful motion. The atmosphere shares a few common notes with other GCC hubs I have experienced, but this one feels distinct. People are welcoming, naturally curious, and they carry a warm confidence that makes every interaction unexpectedly easy.
On the technological side, I was genuinely surprised. I had always considered certain Asian cities to be benchmarks in digital efficiency, but Riyadh has quietly overtaken many of them. Local apps like Moon and HungerStation, which I tried for the first time during my stay, delivered essentials to my hotel door in minutes. Not quickly in the normal sense, but at a speed that almost felt unreal. These systems do not feel like add ons. They feel like integrated organs of the city itself.
One of the highlights of the trip was the visit to The Garage, the major innovation hub of Riyadh. Once a simple parking structure, it has become a pulsating ecosystem filled with startups, engineers, designers, and artists. The building radiates a kind of experimental energy. As I walked through studios and open workspaces, I could easily imagine some of our ventures finding a natural place here. The mix of tech and art, the hunger for bold ideas, the appetite for experimentation. It felt like standing at the edge of a new creative and technological frontier.
The weekend provided a completely different dimension of the city. I drove to Diriyah, the historical heart of Saudi Arabia. The mudbrick architecture of At Turaif took on a soft golden glow as the afternoon light shifted. Small pathways wound between restored structures, and the scent of oud lingered in the air. It was a moment of contrast. A reminder that the story of Riyadh is not only about the future rising from the desert, but also about a heritage that continues to anchor it.
When the time came to fly back, I felt a quiet fascination that stayed with me. Riyadh is not a place trending upward. It is a place already mid flight. The trip reshaped my understanding of what is possible today, not in the distant tomorrow.
I know I will return soon. Next time with business partners, collaborators, and friends. And perhaps with a bit of space left for something rare in our world of constant movement. A moment of bleisure, fully deserved, in a Kingdom that refuses to slow down.
