Evolution Scenic Visit Saudi hospitality tent with custom barasti ceiling and branded scenic walls.

Creating a Complete Visit Saudi Hospitality Environment


The Visit Saudi Hospitality Tent was developed as a welcoming hub for guests attending Dubai 7s on 2–3 December 2023. Evolution Scenic handled the complete design, technical development, fabrication, installation and de-rig, creating a temporary hospitality environment that extended beyond the main tent into dedicated outdoor and back-of-house areas.


The project combined scenic construction, branded architecture, furniture, catering infrastructure, digital media and operational equipment within one coordinated environment. The outdoor entrance zone provided branded seating, shade and visibility before guests entered the main hospitality space, helping establish the Visit Saudi identity from the point of arrival.


Inside, the main tent combined reception, dining, buffet service, informal seating, displays and wall-mounted media within a custom-fabricated scenic interior. These different functions were planned as part of one overall spatial arrangement, allowing guest circulation, seating and catering activity to operate without visually fragmenting the environment.


A separate catering tent positioned behind the main structure supported the operational requirements of the hospitality environment without occupying the principal guest-facing space. This allowed catering support to remain closely connected to the main tent while keeping service activity separate from the primary hospitality areas.


Across the project, Evolution Scenic used aluminium framing, MDF scenic construction, textured finishes, barasti pole treatments, vinyl graphics, acrylic branding, custom counters, selected carpet and integrated scenic lighting to establish a consistent visual language. Natural textures and neutral scenic finishes provided a controlled architectural base for the stronger Visit Saudi graphics and branded elements.


The completed installation demonstrated how a temporary event footprint could be developed into a complete hospitality environment through coordinated scenic fabrication, technical development and site delivery. Outdoor seating, interior architecture, branding and operational support were brought together as one integrated temporary environment rather than treated as separate elements.

Planning Three Connected Operational Zones


The project was organised across three distinct but connected areas. A 15-by-10-metre outdoor seating zone formed the entrance and first point of engagement. A 15-by-15-metre main hospitality tent contained the reception, seating, catering, display and branded-engagement functions. A separate 5-by-5-metre tent positioned behind the main structure provided back-of-house catering support.


Each area required a different operational approach. The outdoor zone needed to accommodate informal hospitality while maintaining a clear route towards the main entrance. Evolution Scenic supplied ten branded high tables, each configured for six guests and paired with Arrow barstools.


Four cantilever umbrellas provided shade across the seating area, while six branded flagpoles strengthened visibility within the wider event environment. Six plants were incorporated into the layout to soften the relationship between the freestanding furniture, branding and temporary surroundings. Inside the main tent, the spatial plan needed to coordinate dining, lounge seating, reception, buffet service, display areas, screens and operational equipment within one 15-by-15-metre footprint.


The separate back-of-house tent supported catering requirements connected to the three buffet counters without placing these functions within the principal guest environment. This three-zone approach allowed arrival, hospitality and operational support to work together while retaining clear functional separation.

Building an Interior Architecture Inside the Tent


The main hospitality tent was transformed from a standard temporary enclosure into a more defined scenic interior through custom walling, ceiling construction, floor finishes and integrated architectural features. One of the principal elements was the aluminium-framed ceiling finished with barasti poles. This overhead treatment helped establish a stronger architectural character within the tent and visually separated the guest environment from the temporary structure above.


The aluminium framework provided the supporting structure for the repeated timber treatment, creating a warmer architectural plane beneath the tent roof. The regular spacing of the barasti poles introduced texture and rhythm across the ceiling while reinforcing the natural material language used throughout the interior. The linear barasti finish also helped visually control the scale of the 15-by-15-metre space, giving the large tent a more contained and considered interior character.


Custom scenic lighting features were incorporated across the ceiling and walls, strengthening the relationship between the overhead treatment, wall features and branded focal points. The lighting became part of the scenic composition rather than functioning only as general illumination. The scenic walls were clad in MDF and finished with textured paint. This created a consistent architectural surface while allowing selected branding, digital displays and decorative features to remain visually prominent.


Barasti was also incorporated into selected wall features, particularly behind branded acrylic panels. Repeating the same material across both vertical and overhead surfaces helped connect the different parts of the interior and maintain a consistent visual language. Together, the ceiling, scenic walling, textured finishes, lighting and branded features gave the temporary tent a more complete interior architecture, allowing the hospitality space to function as a purpose-designed environment rather than a standard event enclosure.

Fabricating Functional Scenic and Branded Features


Evolution Scenic fabricated a series of functional scenic elements that supported reception, catering, display and brand communication within the main tent. Three buffet counters provided the principal guest-facing catering service points.


A separate reception counter established a clear welcome position within the interior and formed part of the wider scenic composition rather than operating as a standalone furniture item. One custom display plinth provided a dedicated presentation feature, while four timber floating shelves were mounted onto the scenic walls to introduce additional display surfaces without taking up floor space.


Branding was integrated throughout the scenic architecture. Selected vinyl graphics were applied across designated wall surfaces, while branded acrylic panels were mounted against barasti backdrops to create a layered combination of dimensional branding and natural texture. Wall-mounted television screens introduced digital content into the environment and were coordinated with the surrounding scenic walls and guest areas.


The project also incorporated logo branding, printed banner graphics, flags and a branded entrance. Outside, the branding continued across the ten high tables and six flagpoles, extending the visual identity beyond the main tent. Using a combination of dimensional acrylic elements, vinyl graphics, printed banners, screens and freestanding branding allowed Visit Saudi’s identity to appear at different scales throughout the complete hospitality environment.

Coordinating Furniture, Finishes and Guest Areas


Selected carpet was installed across the floor of the main hospitality tent, establishing a continuous finished surface beneath the seating, counters and display features. The carpet also visually separated the main guest interior from the outdoor entrance area. Eight natural-finished solid-wood round tables were arranged as four-seat hospitality settings.


Their repeated layout created structured dining areas while retaining smaller group configurations throughout the tent. Sofa seating introduced lower and more informal hospitality settings alongside the dining arrangements. The natural timber furniture complemented the barasti ceiling and wall treatments, creating a connection between the loose furniture and the fabricated scenic architecture.


Furniture positioning was coordinated with the three buffet counters, reception point, display plinth, wall-mounted television screens and floating shelves. This meant the furniture layout formed part of the overall spatial planning rather than being introduced only as final dressing.


Clear relationships between fixed scenic elements and movable furniture allowed the different hospitality functions to remain identifiable without visually fragmenting the main tent. The combination of textured scenic surfaces, natural timber finishes and selected carpet created a restrained background for the stronger Visit Saudi graphics and branding.

 Integrating Operational Equipment and Catering Support


The main hospitality tent required four freestanding air-conditioning units and six fire extinguishers. Rather than allowing this equipment to remain visually disconnected from the scenic interior, Evolution Scenic produced custom covers to integrate it into the wider environment. The air-conditioning covers were fabricated from MDF and finished with paint.


CNC-cut openings were incorporated into the front fascias to provide ventilation while maintaining a controlled scenic appearance. The backs of the covers remained open, providing access to cables and operational connections. This approach allowed the units to remain functional while reducing their visual impact within the finished interior. Six fire extinguishers were also incorporated using custom scenic covers.


The detailed construction, opening arrangement and identification treatment of these covers have not been supplied and should therefore not be described beyond the confirmed project information. Catering operations were supported by the dedicated 5-by-5-metre back-of-house tent positioned behind the main hospitality space.


This separate area supported the three buffet counters while keeping operational catering activity outside the principal guest environment. Together, the equipment covers and dedicated catering zone demonstrate how operational requirements were considered as part of the scenic planning rather than treated as separate elements after the interior had been developed.

Installing, Delivering and De-Rigging the Complete Environment


Evolution Scenic managed the complete site installation and de-rig across the outdoor seating zone, main hospitality tent and back-of-house catering area. Installation required coordination between scenic walling, ceiling construction, flooring, furniture, branding, lighting, digital screens, counters and operational equipment.


Within the main tent, the aluminium-framed barasti ceiling and MDF-clad scenic walls formed the principal architectural elements. The selected carpet, reception counter, three buffet counters, display plinth, timber floating shelves and furniture then needed to be positioned around the established guest circulation and service requirements. Wall-mounted acrylic branding panels, television screens, vinyl graphics and custom scenic lighting features required coordinated positions across the completed wall and ceiling surfaces.


The outdoor area required the installation and positioning of ten branded high tables with Arrow barstools, four cantilever umbrellas, six branding flagpoles and six plants. Behind the main tent, the separate catering structure supported the operational delivery of the hospitality environment.


Following the event, Evolution Scenic also managed the de-rig of the complete temporary installation. The exact fabrication programme, installation duration, crew size, transport arrangements and de-rig schedule have not been supplied.


The completed project brought together outdoor hospitality, custom scenic interiors, branded fabrication, furniture, catering support and operational equipment within one coordinated temporary environment. It demonstrates Evolution Scenic’s capability across complete design, technical development, scenic fabrication, temporary architecture, installation and de-rig.