Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Oct 05, 2025

KAUST hosts Saudi Youth for Sustainability Inaugural Conference 2022

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) hosted the Saudi Youth for Sustainability Inaugural Conference (SYS2022) on June 19, 2022.

The two-day conference kicked off with an opening remark by KAUST President Dr. Tony Chan followed by a large number of speakers from the university and prominent guests.

The speakers included Eng. Anas Al-Mudaifer, CEO of Human Capability Development Program, Mishaal AlRasheed, chief strategy officer, Quality of Life Program, and Raed Albaseet, chief environment and sustainability officer, TRSDC & Amaala.

"KAUST promotes sustainability powered by science and technology," said Dr. Larry Carin, KAUST provost.

“For more than a decade, our Saudi students have played a central role in driving the university’s commitment to sustainability — on our campus, in our national engagement, and in our global endeavors.

“The new Saudi Youth for Sustainability group is a natural evolution and reflection of the passion we see every day in not only KAUST students, but in the next generation of young Saudis across the Kingdom.

“KAUST is proud to support Saudi students’ vision for their future as we work together to make sustainability a reality accessible to all.”

Commenting on the Saudi Youth for Sustainability Inaugural Conference, Dr. Najah Ashry said, “KAUST is honored and proud to have our students help champion sustainability in the Kingdom through such a forum.

“The role of the youth in realizing SDG goals is instrumental, and engaging the youth to ideate, develop, promote and implement solutions to sustainability challenges in the Kingdom will both accelerate progress towards sustainability objectives and strengthen the impact of the Kingdom’s efforts overall.

“Given the shifting demographics in the Kingdom, with the youth currently representing approximately 70% of the population, it is paramount to empower the youth to advance national sustainability.

“We look forward to building on the ideas and dialog that took place during the conference, and remain committed to supporting the Saudi Youth for Sustainability community to engage with government, industry and academic stakeholders across the Kingdom involved with the national sustainability agenda.

“We would also aim to help develop strengthen the skills and capabilities of the community to provide them with the knowledge and tools to become sustainability leaders.

“With the support and involvement of the youth, we firmly believe that the Kingdom can best realize the SDG goals, as well as the ambition and objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative.”

SYS2022 also included several discussion panels, some of the key ones were:

• Leading Change Towards Vision 2030

• The New Wave of Sustainability in Saudi Arabia’s Giga Projects

• Sustainability: a Life Journey, not a Destination

• Re-imagining the Role of Education in Sustainability

• Young leaders in Sustainability

Many experts and professionals from various sectors in the Kingdom, as well as officials and researchers from KAUST, participated in these discussion panels, in addition to many workshops, Interactive events and campus tours that aimed to connect young leaders and drive positive changes towards a more sustainable future.

Approximately 300 students from the Kingdom’s universities and 150 impact supporters attended SYS2022.

This year’s annual conference theme was "Thriving Together," and explored how Saudi youth can be active contributors to Vision 2030 and sustainability goals for the Kingdom and the world by promoting social responsibility, education, technology, and innovation.

SYS2022 organizing committee estimated that young people would face the worst consequences in the near future with the lack of awareness and increased harmful environmental impacts.

However, instead of being victims, young people are taking action to fight for a more sustainable and vibrant future on an unprecedented scale.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is undergoing a historic shift towards a prosperous future.

Saudi youth have a tremendous opportunity to harness their energies and invest their skills to participate in the most ambitious economic, social and environmental transformation.

Iman Al-Hajji, president of Students for Sustainability at KAUST, commented: "We aspire to expand this youth momentum to other local and regional universities.

“By establishing this society, we aim to connect with other young change-makers from Saudi Arabia to develop novel approaches to tackle persisting critical issues and initiate a network that will unite our forces together.

“We want to raise our voice to policy makers to meet the younger generation’s demand of sustainable development. We need to act collectively now! Let’s thrive together for the better."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×