A landmark recognition celebrating cultural storytelling, craftsmanship, and design innovation at Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.
Artychoke, one of the region’s most innovative art consultancies, has been named the winner of the 2025 CID MENA Award for “Best Use of Art in Interior Design”, an honor that highlights the studio’s outstanding work in delivering a deeply authentic and culturally resonant art narrative for Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.
The prestigious annual awards program by Commercial Interior Design celebrates excellence across the Middle East and North Africa’s design industry, spotlighting projects that push boundaries in creativity, craftsmanship, and storytelling. Among a highly competitive field, Artychoke’s submission distinguished itself through its meticulous approach to cultural interpretation, its ambitious scale of production, and its commitment to celebrating regional heritage through contemporary design.
A Vision Rooted in Provenance and Place
Nujuma, the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Middle East, represents a new benchmark in ultra-luxury hospitality, one that places authenticity, nature, and cultural depth at its core. Artychoke’s role in shaping the artistic identity of the resort was both pivotal and profound. Tasked with capturing the spirit of the Red Sea and the heritage of the Arabian Peninsula, the studio curated a collection that is as meaningful as it is visually compelling.
Within the span of just one month, Artychoke designed, crafted, and installed morethan 600 bespoke art pieces, delivering an extraordinary feat of creative coordination. Each work was thoughtfully conceived to reflect the natural environment, maritime traditions, and cultural narratives associated with the region. Organic textures, desert-inspired palettes, and locally sourced materials served as the foundation for a visual language that feels deeply connected to its surroundings.
Celebrating Regional Artisanship
A defining aspect of the project and one that strongly contributed to Artychoke’s CID MENA win—was the studio’s collaboration with Saudi and regional artisans. These partnerships not only elevated the authenticity of the work but also reinforced the Kingdom’s fast-growing creative economy, which is gaining strong global recognition under Saudi Vision 2030.
Artychoke worked closely with master craftspeople specializing in traditional techniques such as hand-carved woodwork, ceramic sculpture, metalwork, textile weaving, and natural pigment finishing. Many of these crafts were revived or reinterpreted for the project, bringing forgotten skills into a new era and embedding cultural continuity into the resort’s design.
“This project allowed us to shine a light on incredible local and regional talent,” the Artychoke team noted. “From natural materials to time-honored craftsmanship, every piece was designed to honor both the hands that made it and the stories behind it.”
Curating Authentic Antiques from Across the Middle East
In addition to its contemporary commissions, Artychoke integrated genuine antiques sourced from across the Middle East. These items, ranging from maritime objects to handcrafted vessels and heritage artifacts, were selected to create a sense of provenance and to weave layers of history into the guest experience.
Each antique was carefully positioned to help form the cultural landscape of Nujuma, creating connections between the resort’s modern architecture and the region’s rich historical tapestry. These pieces serve not merely as décor but as touchpoints that invite reflection, discovery, and emotional resonance.
Art with Purpose, Storytelling in Luxury Hospitality
For Artychoke, the essence of the project was never just about decorating spaces, it was about crafting a narrative. The studio approached each area of the resort as a chapter within a larger story about the Red Sea’s ecosystems, the region’s trading heritage, the textures of the desert, and the human ingenuity that has shaped life in this part of the world.
“This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to shaping spaces through meaningful art narratives that resonate with their environment and audience,” Artychoke said. “Art becomes truly powerful when it deepens the sense of place and creates emotional memory.”
A Milestone for the Region’s Design Landscape
Artychoke’s win is significant not only for the firm but for the broader evolution of the design industry in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region. As the Kingdom continues to advance its creative, cultural, and tourism sectors, award-winning projects like Nujuma underscore the global calibre of talent and innovation emerging from the country.
The studio extended its appreciation to Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, its valued partners, and Commercial Interior Design for this distinguished honor.
Blending Art, Luxury, and Unforgettable Experiences
With a growing portfolio of luxury, hospitality, and destination-scale projects, Artychoke remains committed to advancing the role of art in shaping memorable experiences. The studio continues to champion cultural storytelling through thoughtful curation, artisan collaboration, and innovative design practices that celebrate the richness of the region.
As Saudi Arabia accelerates its transformation under Vision 2030, the importance of art in defining identity, narrative, and place has never been clearer. Artychoke’s achievement stands as a defining example of how creativity and culture can elevate world-class design.
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