University of New Haven – Riyadh and Tuwaiq Academy Announce Collaboration at LEAP to Develop the Saudi Arabia’s Executive Leaders

The University of New Haven – Riyadh (NHU-Riyadh) and Tuwaiq Academy, Saudi Arabia’s premier organization for building national capabilities in advanced technology fields, have agreed to work together to develop the Kingdom’s executive leaders. Nomaan Syed, director of collaboration for NHU-Riyadh, announced the collaboration on stage at Leading Edge Advancement and Progress (LEAP), the Kingdom’s global technology conference widely known as “Digital Davos,” in early September.

Under the collaboration, University of New Haven experts and instructors will teach specialized executive programs through Tuwaiq Executive. The programs offer the Kingdom’s business leaders a global perspective and applied experience to respond to the challenges of the economy of the future.

Tuwaiq Academy, part of the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, has trained more than 55,000 students across its bootcamps, programs, and initiatives. NHU-Riyadh, the first international branch university to open in the Kingdom, welcomed its first undergraduate and graduate students at Misk City in August 2026.

“Saudi businesses are growing at a remarkable pace, and it is their talented and forward-looking executives who are leading that growth,” said Jens Frederiksen, Ph.D., president of the University of New Haven. “Through Tuwaiq Executive, we are putting our global expertise behind them.”

“NHU-Riyadh started teaching its first classes last month; now our instructors will teach the Kingdom’s executives as well,” said Leo Lester, Ph.D., senior vice president for NHU-Riyadh. “Delegates will get what our students get: teaching grounded in practice and aimed at the workplace.”

NHU-Riyadh teaches at Misk City through its College of Business and Digital Innovation, the first of three colleges planned in Riyadh.