Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - King Abdulaziz University has announced the launch of the Saudi Fellowship for Community Participation, the first professional program of its kind in the Arab world. The fellowship is accredited by the Scientific Endowment at KAU and developed in collaboration with the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, in partnership with the Professional Fellowships Company and the Saudi Council for Community Participation (SCCP).
This pioneering professional and applied learning program aims to create social and economic value through community leadership and participation. It empowers community participation leaders across government, private, and non-profit sectors to acquire advanced professional knowledge and practical skills, enabling them to foster meaningful collaboration and alignment between institutions and society.
The Saudi Fellowship for Community Participation is designed to build professional capacities and prepare qualified specialists to lead initiatives and programs that enhance the role of community participation in achieving Saudi Vision 2030 and its goal of building a vibrant society.
The fellowship targets a wide range of professionals, including directors of community participation units, corporate social responsibility (CSR) managers, development communication specialists, development planning officers, community affairs leaders in the public and private sectors, consultants in community service development, and experts in social entrepreneurship and community innovation.
The fellowship curriculum covers a comprehensive and carefully designed set of modules, including the conceptual and strategic foundations of community participation, levels and principles of engagement, community leadership and trust-building, social entrepreneurship, community context analysis, public mobilization and opinion formation, innovation and design of community participation initiatives, governance and management, and community evaluation and feedback. Participants will also take part in hands-on workshops focusing on community innovation and leadership.
The program was developed following an international benchmarking study comparing over 20 leading local and global programs, in addition to a detailed analysis of the Saudi labor market’s needs in the field of community participation.
The fellowship will commence in November 2025 and extend over a six-month learning journey led by more than seven distinguished experts and practitioners in the field of community participation. Participants will begin with two months of intensive theoretical learning, followed by a one-week international field experience, and conclude with three months of applied practice and implementation.
The program culminates in a capstone graduation project, through which participants apply their learning into real-world initiatives with measurable community impact.
Throughout the program, participants will engage in performance-based assignments, mentorship sessions, and knowledge-sharing meetings under the supervision of experts, ensuring a rich, applied, and transformative learning experience that bridges theory and practice.
