Summary:
- Riyadh Air launches the Hafawa Lounge at King Khalid International Airport, positioning design, digital innovation and cultural identity at the core of its premium passenger experience strategy.
- Developed with multidisciplinary studio Yabu Pushelberg, the 2,000sqm lounge integrates circadian lighting, residential-style zoning and technology-enabled service to support guest wellbeing and operational flow.
- The Hafawa Lounge reflects Riyadh Air’s digital-native philosophy, blending intuitive wayfinding, immersive media and restorative design to redefine the pre-flight experience ahead of the airline’s commercial launch.
Riyadh Air – Saudi Arabia’s new digital-native airline – has launched the Hafawa Lounge, its first premium airport lounge at King Khalid International Airport, designed in collaboration with multidisciplinary studio Yabu Pushelberg.
The customer experience at the Hafawa Lounge is an essential part of the airline’s innovative, scientifically-designed restorative sensory journey, carefully considered to help each guest reset, recharge and explore their destination, renewed.
Envisioned as far more than a place to pass time in, the lounge is an important stop on the Riyadh Air journey – defined by Hafawa, a deeply rooted Saudi cultural value defined by warmth and generosity – shaped by emotion and powered by advanced technology.
Located between Terminals 1 and 2, the Hafawa Lounge spans nearly 2,000sqm and is capable of comfortably welcoming approximately 370 Business Elite and Business Class guests. The opening of the Hafawa Lounge marks a defining moment in Riyadh Air’s preparations for commercial launch, placing design and innovation at the centre of the travel experience.
“The Hafawa Lounge reflects our belief that design and technology play an important role in shaping the guest experience – elements which are part of every step of the guest’s journey with Riyadh Air,” said Riyadh Air Director of Guest Experience Mody Alkhalaf. “Working with Yabu Pushelberg allowed us to bring together the traditional warmth of Saudi hospitality with contemporary, future-forward design to offer a space that supports comfort, emotional wellbeing, and generosity throughout the journey. Representing the sense of ‘hafawa’ or hospitality, this is a special space that relaxes, refuels and reenergises guests before their travel with Riyadh Air.”
The space was conceived as an immersive, residential-inspired setting. Inspired by the Saudi desert landscape, the interiors explore a series of intentional contrasts: grounded yet ethereal, tactile yet technologically advanced. A restrained palette of limestone, oak, and textured plaster is designed to establish a calm, atmospheric backdrop that unfolds gradually as guests move through the lounge.
Light is integral to the lounge experience. A carefully orchestrated circadian system evolves throughout the day – warm at dawn, cooler through midday, and warm again at dusk – echoing the natural rhythms of desert light. Within this framework, nuanced accents of colour – peach, lavender, and indigo – appear at key moments, subtly referencing Riyadh Air’s brand palette while enhancing orientation, comfort, and a sense of place.
The Hafawa Lounge is composed as a sequence of interconnected rooms, each supporting different moods. A sculptural arrival zone signals a clear transition from terminal to sanctuary, leading into the central Pantry designed for informal dining and interaction. Along expansive runway-facing windows, the Balcony Café offers a more social atmosphere, while quieter spaces such as The Study and The Parlor aim to evoke the intimacy of private living rooms.
Social energy gathers around the Cabinet and the more intimate Cellar, conceived as layered destinations, while spa-like bathrooms, garden-facing seating areas, and private sleeping pods – designed to accommodate both individual travellers and families – offer moments for retreat and restoration.
“Our goal was to create a space that supports the emotional side of travel,” said Yabu Pushelberg Co-Founder Glenn Pushelberg. “Through the carefully considered use of light, textures, spaces, and atmosphere, the Hafawa Lounge offers a sense of calm, generosity, and freedom to move before guests take flight.”
Yabu Pushelberg Co-Founder George Yabu added: “Rather than designing a single environment, we envisioned the lounge as a home made up of distinct rooms. Each space has its own character and purpose, allowing guests to shape their own experience.”
Guided by Riyadh Air’s digital-native philosophy, innovation is seamlessly integrated throughout the lounge. Intuitive wayfinding, immersive media installations, and discreet, technology-enabled service touchpoints are designed to enhance ease and flow without compromising warmth or human connection.
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