Date: October 22, 2026
Time: 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Location: Auditorium between Buildings 2 & 3
The Office of Sustainability is pleased to announce the next session of the Fall 2026 Sustainability Seminar Series. This month, the series turns its attention to the future of our cities and communities, exploring how more integrated approaches to urban development can strengthen sustainability, resilience, and quality of life.
In this month’s seminar, Prof. Sami G. Al-Ghamdi, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering and Associate Dean for Research and Partnerships, BESE, will explore how cities and communities can be reimagined through the lens of SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
The seminar will look beyond individual sustainability interventions to consider more integrated approaches to urban resilience, climate adaptation, resource efficiency, and quality of life. It will explore how urban form, buildings, infrastructure, energy, water, materials, mobility, and nature interact, and why understanding these connections is critical to creating cities that can respond to a changing climate while remaining healthy, resilient, and liveable.
The discussion will also reflect on the rapidly evolving urban landscape in Saudi Arabia, highlighting the opportunities presented by the Kingdom’s ongoing transformation to embed sustainability, resilience, and innovation into the cities and communities of the future.
Prof. Al-Ghamdi is the founder and Principal Investigator of the KAUST Urban Lab, where his research focuses on sustainable and resilient cities, climate change mitigation and adaptation, life-cycle assessment, low-carbon buildings and infrastructure, and urban environmental systems. His work connects scientific research, policy, and real-world urban development, with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia and rapidly developing regions.
Join us for an interesting discussion on how the choices we make today can help shape more sustainable, resilient, and liveable cities for the future.
