RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is set to raise the bar in design management with an increasing number of creative outfits eyeing the Kingdom, including the UK-based interior design firm LXA. Speaking to Arab News at the Future Hospitality Summit in Riyadh, LXA CEO David Rees announced opening an office in Riyadh to cash in on the emerging opportunities. “We were about 80 people worldwide. So, this is the time for LXA to come, be visible and bring our international expertise into the Saudi market,” Rees told Arab News. He added that his company is in high-level talks of partnerships with another company but refused to give more details. “There are lots going on ... lots of conversations we will be working on, as I say,” he said. Rees said his company values collaboration with other industry professionals and seeks to use diverse viewpoints and skills. The company has already made inroads into the Kingdom by developing a Latin-American restaurant called MNKY HSE in Riyadh and a food and beverage marketplace called Boxooo in Jeddah. On asking where do they see the sector positioned in the next five years in the Kingdom, he said: “It’s going to be enormous, and LXA is going to be a part of that. You look at the exhibition here. Thousands of hotels and hotel keys are being announced. And we have this international expertise from London and the Middle East. So, we want to be a big part of that with our partners.” Rees noted at the end that Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plans are “obviously exciting” and that the company aims to bring global expertise to the market with its credentials.