University of New Haven – Riyadh and the King Abdullah Humanitarian Foundation Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Develop Future Nonprofit Leaders and Support Outstanding Saudi Students

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud International Foundation for Humanitarian Works (the King Abdullah Humanitarian Foundation) and the University of New Haven – Riyadh (NHU-Riyadh) have signed, at the Foundation’s headquarters in Riyadh, a memorandum of understanding to widen access to higher education through one of the Kingdom’s first specialised undergraduate pathways in nonprofit leadership, alongside scholarships for outstanding Saudi students. The agreement contributes to the preparation of qualified national talent to support the growth of the nonprofit sector and the goals of Vision 2030.

The memorandum was signed on behalf of the Foundation by Dr. Abdulaziz bin Fahd Alangari, Chief Executive Officer, and on behalf of the University by Leo Lester, Ph.D., senior vice president for NHU-Riyadh.

Under the memorandum, the two organizations intend to cooperate in two areas. The first is an undergraduate pathway in Nonprofit and Humanitarian Sector Leadership, expected to be offered through NHU-Riyadh’s B.S. in Business Management

via a specialised concentration in nonprofit leadership, intended to be one of the first specialized academic pathways of its kind in the Kingdom. The second is scholarships for outstanding Saudi students to study for undergraduate degrees at NHU-Riyadh, which the Foundation intends to support in coordination with the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba).

The cooperation supports Vision 2030’s aim to strengthen the contribution of the nonprofit, or third, sector to the Kingdom’s economic and social development, by preparing qualified national leaders for the institutions that drive it and by improving the sector’s effectiveness and the sustainability of its impact.

“This partnership embodies the Foundation’s firm belief in the importance of education as one of the most important enablers of sustainable development and investment in people,” said Dr. Abdulaziz Alangari, Chief Executive Officer of the King Abdullah Humanitarian Foundation. “By supporting outstanding students and developing a specialised academic pathway in nonprofit leadership, we seek to contribute to preparing a generation of leaders capable of making a positive and lasting impact on the development of the Kingdom’s nonprofit sector, in line with the Foundation’s vision of expanding opportunities and supporting initiatives of developmental and humanitarian impact.”

“This is an exceptional partnership,” said Jens Frederiksen, Ph.D., President of the University of New Haven. “With the King Abdullah Humanitarian Foundation we will offer outstanding Saudi students a University of New Haven education and prepare them to be the next generation of leaders in the Kingdom’s nonprofit and social sectors.”

“This is about opportunity and purpose,” said Leo Lester, Ph.D., senior vice president for NHU-Riyadh. “Scholarships widen access, and a pathway in nonprofit leadership prepares students to lead the institutions that serve their communities.”

NHU-Riyadh will open in the 2026–2027 academic year at Misk City with the College of Business and Digital Innovation, the first of three colleges planned in Riyadh. It is the first international branch campus of an American university to operate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

About the King Abdullah Humanitarian Foundation

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud International Foundation for Humanitarian Works was established by the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in 2010, and continues to fulfil the vision of its founder in advancing humanitarian and developmental work, contributing to providing a dignified life and to empowering people wherever they may be. The Foundation’s mission extends through a number of affiliated entities, most prominently the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) and the King Abdulaziz Public Library. This partnership comes as an extension of the Foundation’s efforts to invest in people and to support educational and developmental initiatives of sustainable impact.