Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship was established in 2016 in line with Saudi Arabia’s aspirations to be a leader of economic, social, and intellectual progress and a global powerhouse of entrepreneurship and innovation. Since then, it has evolved as a popular academic destination for the nation’s future entrepreneurs and business leaders. With the third batch of its students graduating recently to embark on new journeys of success, the college has further strengthened its prominence as a world-class institution that nurtures industry-ready professionals with global exposure and futuristic skills.
Prof. Zeger Degraeve, the executive dean of MBSC, has been one of the key leaders behind the college’s continued success. He says that the institution is fortunate to enjoy the guidance and support of Saudi Arabia’s wise leadership. “At MBSC, we provide our students with valuable networking opportunities powered by our strong collaborations with globally renowned educational institutions such as Babson Global. In addition to empowering the Saudi youth with quality education, superior entrepreneurial skills, and hands-on knowledge acquired from our global faculty, we also arm them with the necessary competencies to actively contribute to the national economy, such as critical thinking, leadership skills, personal communication and effectiveness skills, and so on. Our students and graduates are at the forefront of the nation’s youth that support various regional and global initiatives such as the Climate Action Simulation challenge and the Saudi Green Initiative,” he says.
One of the distinguishing features of the college is its role as an enabler for the nation’s youth to succeed and realize the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. Commenting on MBSC’s commitment to the Vision 2030 objectives as well as the National Investment Strategy announced recently by HRH Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Prof. Degraeve explains: “We are delighted to witness the great transformation in the Kingdom across various fields and are proud of our contributions to the Kingdom’s ambitions. We will continue to be inspired by the Vision 2030 goal to increase entrepreneurial activities and ecosystems in the Kingdom. We also imbibe in our students a deep commitment and passion to NIS’s objective to enhance the attractiveness of Saudi Arabia as an investment destination that offers unlimited opportunities.”
This is illustrated by MBSC’s latest batch of graduates, which makes its alumni a vibrant community of 174 future leaders in total. The MBSC alumni impact is felt wide and deep across Saudi, as they have so far registered 45 new ventures and created more than 700 jobs, showing great promise as a group of young leaders eager to leave their mark on the country’s transformation journey.
“Value creation is one of our key focus areas, and the college is distinguished by the relentless pursuit of excellence in everything we do,” Prof. Degraeve says.
Prof. Degraeve adds that the college is proud to be a part of the Kingdom’s great transformation in various fields. “As Saudi Arabia aims to achieve economic diversification, increase the role and participation of the private sector, and create a favorable climate for investors and entrepreneurs, the college has a key role to play in enabling the nation’s youth to take full advantage of the emerging opportunities. The global outlook and spirit of innovation fostered at the college inspire our students to challenge themselves constantly and achieve the extraordinary.”
As the college brings the best international curriculum in collaboration with Babson Global, faculty from leading global business schools in multiple countries, and opportunities to Saudi Arabia’s youth to develop them into globally competitive individuals driving the nation’s ambitions, it continues to set new standards of excellence for educational institutions in the Kingdom and the region. In addition to making the best global education available locally, the college has been helping young entrepreneurs to establish the right connections, gain critical business and job skills, and adapt to changing situations. The institution’s growing network of global partners and its support to local entrepreneurs continue to enrich its role as a key driver of Saudi Arabia’s advancing entrepreneurial ecosystem.
