Last week, students of the Zagreb School of Economics and Management had the privilege of joining the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the MENA Climate Week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Together with more than 600 young leaders from the world’s leading universities, ZŠEM students gained a comprehensive understanding of the Kingdom’s sustainability initiatives covering areas such as energy, urban planning, infrastructure, transport and many others.
Actively participating in the Youth Forum, under the leadership of the Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC) and with the support of the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, ZŠEM students connected with influential business people, policymakers and industry experts, all of whom are guided by a common mission of global sustainability.
Moreover, ZŠEM students deepened their understanding of the significant changes that Saudi Arabia is making on the social, political and economic levels. With the country’s ambition to be at the forefront of the tourism industry through gigantic projects such as AlUla, Diriyah, TheRedSea and NEOM, students got a glimpse of this vision at the Line Museum in Riyadh.
The trip allowed the students to get a feel for the local culture of Saudi Arabia. Although they noticed a combination of tradition and modern influences, especially in the architectural design, the genuine kindness and hospitality of the local population stood out the most and left a striking impression.
