London Business School’s global experience in Riyadh bridges learning with Saudi Arabia’s future vision

Education

London Business School’s global experience in Riyadh bridges learning with Saudi Arabia’s future vision

London Business School (LBS) has concluded a week-long Global Experience programme in Riyadh, bringing together 63 students from 31 nationalities to engage directly with institutions at the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation and leadership development.

Led by Florin Vasvari, Professor of Accounting and Executive Dean of Executive Education (Middle East), alongside Emre Ozdenoren, Professor of Economics, the immersive course provided students with first-hand exposure to how the Kingdom is driving innovation, developing future-ready talent, and reshaping its economy in line with long-term diversification and sustainability goals.

Throughout the programme, participants engaged with senior leaders, policymakers, faculty, alumni, and members of the wider LBS global community across both public and private sectors. The experience included company visits, expert panels, workshops, and guest speaker sessions with leading organisations such as the Ministry of Finance, Diriyah Company, Dar Al Aila, El Seif Engineering, HUMAIN, Lucid Motors, Milaf Global Food Company – a Public Investment Fund company, Mozn, and Redco International.

Experiential learning forms a core pillar of London Business School’s educational philosophy, enabling students to move beyond the classroom and into real-world decision-making environments. Through initiatives such as the Riyadh Global Experience, students gain direct insights into dynamic markets while developing cultural awareness and global leadership capabilities.

Sara Almazro, a Saudi student who participated in the programme, said the experience offered a deeply personal perspective on the Kingdom’s transformation, noting that seeing Saudi Arabia through the eyes of international classmates highlighted both the scale of progress achieved and the ambition shaping its future.

Dr. Mohammed Alhussein, Founder and CEO of Mozn, said hosting LBS students provided an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions on the future of artificial intelligence, financial crime prevention, and enterprise knowledge intelligence, reflecting the Kingdom’s growing role in advanced technology and innovation.

Graham Hastie, Associate Dean of Degree Education at London Business School, highlighted the significance of hosting the programme in Riyadh, describing Saudi Arabia’s transformation as one of the most ambitious economic shifts globally. He noted that direct exposure enables students to better understand how leadership, innovation, and long-term strategy intersect in a rapidly evolving market.

The Global Experience programme follows the recent opening of London Business School’s Executive Education Office in Riyadh, reinforcing a partnership with the Kingdom that spans more than a decade. The new office serves as a strategic hub for expanding the School’s presence in Saudi Arabia and supporting leadership development aligned with the country’s next phase of sustainable, knowledge-driven growth.