Client
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Culture

Location
Osaka, Japan

Collaborators
Foster + Partners
Done + Dusted
Charcoalblue
Insignia
Tait
Coda to Coda

Sector
Attractions & Theme Parks
Government, Civic & Mega-Events

Services Provided:
Story
Creative Concepting & Experience Mapping
Filmmaking & Animation
Narrative Development
Scripting & Messaging
Voice, Tone, Accessibility & Localization
Design
Experience, Exhibition & Interior Design,
Immersive Media Design,
Interaction & UX Design, Architectural & Theatrical Lighting Design
Sound Design
Technology
Immersive Media & Projection Mapping,
AR/VR/XR & Interactive Software
Delivery
Technical Direction & Production Management

A beacon on Osaka’s waterfront, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at World Expo 2025 is more than a physical space — it’s a multidimensional experience that redefines how a nation tells its story. 

Journey created an immersive world, embedded within architecture designed by Foster + Partners, where history, culture, and innovation converge with innovative storytelling and technology.

World Expo 2025 invites global audiences to engage with the ideas shaping tomorrow. Within The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pavilion, visitors embark on a journey through the Kingdom’s past, present, and future — moving seamlessly between cinematic storytelling, interactive installations and real-time art creation.

This interplay between physical and digital reaches across the pavilion’s key spaces and galleries.

The Saudi Courtyard is at its heart – transforming from a tranquil daytime retreat into a vibrant nighttime venue, featuring a constantly evolving show comprising work produced live by artists, musicians, and creators within the adjacent Music and Visual Arts Studios.

Beyond the courtyard, visitors are invited to take a walk through the ‘streets of Saudi Arabia’ into the pavilion’s immersive galleries. Here, you are led on a journey through four galleries showcasing Saudi Arabia’s cities and urban landscapes, their leadership in marine conservation, global influence in sports and ambitious future plans.

The Visual Arts Studio highlights traditional and modern Saudi visual art. A pitched display wall allows resident artists to work on large-scale pieces, and mirrors, live cameras and video surfaces provide visitors with a clear view of the creative process.

The Music Studio serves as a music creation and production hub, offering space for rehearsals, recordings, and live performances. Equipped with a high-quality recording booth, sound recording and playback system, integrated cameras and projection-mapped walls, it enables music artists to produce and showcase their work while also featuring rotating commissioned artwork.

Evolving Cities provides visitors with an opportunity to engage in the evolution of Saudi Arabia’s cities, from historic urban dwellings to modern cosmopolitan cities and future projects. Films start with a sunrise and move through the day, telling stories of cities until nightfall. Carved walls featuring animations echo the desert sands and stone samples allow a tactile experience of the country’s varied landscapes.

Edited with Afterlight

Sustainable Seas transitions from land to sea and positions Saudi Arabia as a world leader in marine conservation. It tells a rich human story that combines history with environmental initiatives, with immersive film through underwater ecosystems, a real Saudi Arabian mangrove tree, and an interactive sculptural wall which ‘grows’ with coral skeletons 3D printed throughout the Expo’s lifespan.

Unlimited Human Potential is the third sensory spectacle, focused on the central role Saudi Arabia now plays in the world’s most popular sports. We invite viewers to marvel at Saudi Arabia’s rich and diverse sporting landscapes and arenas. 

Pinnacle of Innovation is the final experience, highlighting the Kingdom’s future ambitions. An ‘innovation wall’ greets guests with a curated selection of physical and digital objects. Screens surrounding the objects bring them to life and attract visitors to explore the innovation stories behind them on interactive screens. An immersive screen highlights NEOM’s innovation at a local, regional and global level through rich satellite photography and an array of multimedia.

Impact

Gold

Architecture & Landscape – Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Official Participant Awards 2025

2M+

Visitors

24,142

Record Visitors in a single day

Gold

Cultural Architecture: Interactive & Experiential Spaces – New York Architectural Design Awards 2025

x2 Gold

Best Large Pavilion & Best Exterior Architecture – World Expolympics Awards 2025, The Experiential Design Authority (TEDA)

Winner

Expo Innovation Award for Technological Innovation – Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) and the Global Industrial and Social Progress Research Institute (GISPRI)

x3 Winner

Best Large Pavilion, Best Sustainable Design, Best Use of Technology – EXHIBITOR Magazine World Expo Awards

Top 10

Stand-out pavilions at Expo 2025 Osaka – Dezeen

Technology is ever-present yet almost invisible — an enabler of human connection rather than a spectacle in itself. This extends across every space, creating a continuous immersive environment that reinforces the overarching narrative.

“We want to work with the world’s leading teams that know how to ensure immersive digital content is holistically integrated within the architectural design”
– Tony Miki, Partner, Foster + Partners