Riyadh Air has unveiled its first premium airport lounge, the Hafawa Lounge, at King Khalid International Airport, created in partnership with the multidisciplinary design studio Yabu Pushelberg.

Spanning nearly 2,000 square meters between Terminals 1 and 2, the lounge accommodates around 370 Business Elite and Business Class guests and marks a milestone ahead of the airline’s commercial launch.

The Hafawa Lounge is central to Riyadh Air’s scientifically designed, restorative sensory journey, intended to help guests reset and recharge before travel.

Rooted in the Saudi cultural value of “Hafawa,” symbolizing warmth and generosity, the space blends emotional resonance with advanced technology.

Moving beyond traditional lounge design, the interiors evoke a residential, immersive environment that balances monumentality with intimacy.

Inspired by the Saudi desert landscape, the design explores contrasts—grounded yet ethereal, tactile yet high-tech—using a refined palette of limestone, oak, and textured plaster to create a calming atmosphere.

Lighting plays a pivotal role, with a circadian system that shifts from warm dawn tones to cooler midday hues and back to warmth at dusk, mirroring natural desert rhythms.

Subtle accents of peach, lavender, and indigo reference the airline’s brand identity while enhancing comfort and spatial orientation.

“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 Mody Alkhalaf, Director of Guest Experience at Riyadh Air. “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 reenergizes guests before their travel with Riyadh Air.” -TradeArabia News Service