RIYADH — Istituto Marangoni will open its doors in Riyadh this August, becoming the first international fashion school with a permanent campus in Saudi Arabia.

The Milan-based institution’s arrival comes as Saudi Arabia’s fashion retail market expands rapidly, with local industry data showing it’s on track to reach $32 billion by 2028. This growth reflects changing consumer behaviors in the Kingdom, where a young population increasingly embraces both global brands and emerging local designers.

The Istituto Marangoni campus will anchor the new Riyadh Creative District at KAFD, part of a government strategy to build cultural sectors that diversify the economy beyond oil revenue. The Saudi Fashion Commission has secured 50 government scholarships for local students, signaling their commitment to developing homegrown creative talent. Six specialized programs, all accredited by the Technical and Vocational Training Corp., will form the core curriculum, developed specifically to address gaps in the region’s fashion workforce while meeting international education benchmarks.

As the Kingdom aggressively invests in the development of creative industries, the opening of an institution like Marangoni reflects a shift in how design education is being approached in Saudi Arabia, moving toward fostering critical thinking and innovation with potential applications across multiple sectors.

“Creative education is about developing a mindset that can transform industries,” explained Cakmak. “When we invest in design education, we’re cultivating innovators who can apply design thinking to challenges in healthcare, technology, urban planning, and beyond.”

With 70 percent of Saudi Arabia’s population under the age of 35, the country aims to drive economic diversification through creativity and innovation.

The Saudi Fashion Commission’s educational strategy extends beyond traditional skills-based training. “Education is definitely sitting at the core of ensuring progress and a stable future. We want to start with bachelor degree programs, but ultimately also build into master’s programs, short courses, and even looking at opportunities for doing a Ph.D. in design,” Cakmak said.

Critical Thinking Through Design

Cakmak said the commission aims to see interdisciplinary exploration, with students making connections between fashion and domains such as anthropology, history and technology.

“We need to see new expertise developed in different elements of creativity and design,” Cakmak emphasized. “The industry needs not only designers but researchers, strategists and business innovators who approach problems with creative methodologies.”

Istituto Marangoni’s Higher Training Institute will offer programs designed to develop critical thinking capabilities alongside technical skills that incorporate the local cultural context. Stefania Valenti, managing director of Istituto Marangoni, emphasizes that the Saudi campus will bolster the vision to diversity the economy away from oil, part of the Saudi govertnment’s Vision 2030 plan. “Our mission is to nurture local creatives by combining global expertise with Saudi heritage and lay the foundation for developing a new generation of Saudi talent, equipping them with the skills to connect with international markets.”

The school will offer six specialized programs including Fashion Design and Accessories, Fashion Communication and Image, Fashion Management, Digital Communication and Media, Fashion Product, and Fragrances and Cosmetics Management.

In addition to diploma programs, they will offer upskilling courses for industry professionals, addressing the needs of the current workforce alongside preparing future talent.

Balancing Tradition and Innovation

Istituto Marangoni brings 90 years of experience in education to Riyadh, with the institution having launched more than 45,000 luxury professionals globally, including designers Domenico Dolce and Alessandro Sartori.

“Blending local cultural heritage with contemporary global trends allows students to develop culturally meaningful designs while benefiting from international exposure,” Valenti said.

Integrating technology into the curriculum is also vital. “For us, digital is a tool to develop and promote creativity,” Valenti explained. “Our students graduate with both strong traditional skills and advanced digital capabilities.”

Fashion design students will create both traditional and virtual collections, while communication students will develop campaigns in both classic and immersive formats. Business students learn to build brands using new technologies, ensuring graduates are equipped to support traditional brands, launch start-ups and lead innovation.

Focus on Real-world Outcomes

Beyond innovative teaching methods, Valenti pointed to concrete results as the institution’s true measure of success. “Istituto Marangoni’s main KPI is employability. We’ve made significant investments in our career services team,” she explains. “Starting in the second year of the three-year program, students receive guidance to build their CVs and access job opportunities.”

This approach has yielded impressive statistics. “Our global employability rate is 91 percent, as measured by DOXA, an independent research firm. They surveyed our students of Istituto Marangoni campuses worldwide, one year after graduation from both bachelor’s and master’s programs,” Valenti said.

What’s particularly notable is the entrepreneurial success of graduates. “Of those employed, 32 percent have become entrepreneurs. That’s our second KPI,” she said.

This entrepreneurial focus aligns well with Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification goals, potentially creating a new generation of Saudi fashion brands with global potential.