Mission

Through this work, we help inspire people to become the best versions of themselves possible, empowering them to understand their true worth and reach their fullest potential, whatever their gifts and talents might be.

The benefits of this are far-reaching, starting within the individual, and spreading out to their families, teams, communities, organisations, institutions, and government agencies.

Vision

These life-changing, non-traditional programs seek to improve the social, emotional and behavioural development of youth and adults, and help people to develop critical life and leadership skills through hands-on activities, creative processes, and innovative techniques.

The transformative impact on the Kingdom can be incredible, and the starting point of this change is in developing the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of people. Once we have started this work, we are in the process of building genuine sustainable change in all areas of life.

Values

Our work is guided by our belief in – and commitment to – values such as: Competence, communication, growth, compassion, empathy, dignity, creativity, innovation, and more.

Goals

And while our goals include economic development, environmental sustainability, premium customer experience, and programs and services that are internationally-recognised for their high quality, it is our overarching goal of client growth and empowerment that is at the heart of everything we do.

When we talk about ‘empowerment’, we are not talking about a limited concept… We’re talking about something liberating, transformative, something beautiful and powerful. We’re talking about redefining what leadership is. Redefining what wellbeing is. Redefining what community, social cohesion, innovation and success are.

Our programs will lay the groundwork for this transformation: this shift towards true wellbeing that will be the catalyst for social and economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

There are two recurring themes that dominate the research regarding young people - both in Saudi Arabia, and around the world. These are empowerment and wellbeing - which also form the crux of KUN’s work.

These strands are inextricably linked. You need a strong foundation of positive mental, physical and emotional health in order to properly empower young people, and equip them for a future that they will be instrumental in shaping.

In fact, 80 percent of Saudis with severe mental health disorders do not seek any treatment - including young people. Indeed, estimates show even though mental illness affects many of our children aged 6 to 17, a majority of them do not receive the mental health help that they need. This has to change, and it is our duty to make it happen.

A report by Advocates for Youth showed that parent-child connectedness and communication promotes health, achievement and self-esteem, and can greatly help young people establish individual values and make healthy decisions. Those young people who feel a lack of parental warmth, love or care, are more likely to report emotional distress, school problems, drug use, and sexual risk behaviours.

Family problems were also found to be a leading cause of suicide attempts, according to the 2020 study Risk Assessment of Repeated Suicide Attemps Among Youth in Saudi Arabia. The study found that family problems accounted for 51 percent of suicide attempts, and that the risk of repeated suicide attemps among Saudi youth was high.

“Depression, anxiety, and suicide are very real issues that we must address. We cannot hide them away or downplay them any longer”

The survey also found that 91 percent of parents agree schools should play a bigger role in training people to solve today’s mental health issues, and 61 percent of people globally believe children should be introduced to wellness and mental health awareness in primary or middle school.

There is a clear need - demand - crying out for help here, and we are ready to fill this need. KUN works on all these levels - with the young people, with the families, and with the institutions, companies and organisations that have such an important role to play.

If we can give young people a better foundation with less anxiety, less depression, and more hope, we can build their self-worth, bring out their skills and talents, and give them the tools and confidence they need to express themselves and their abilities in ways that will benefit themselves, their communities, and the nation overall.

Similarly, the Youth Empowerment for Prosperous and Inclusive Cities report by Urban 20 found that 84 percent of people believe that youth empowerment positively impacts cross-sectoral national development, adding that the country’s “leadership is focused on fostering creativity, dynamism and youthful innovation”.

It is certainly encouraging to see the Government taking this role, and there is indeed a positive sentiment from young Saudis. The 2017 Youth Wellbeing Index found that only 41 percent of Saudi youth agreed with the statement “my government does not care about my wants and needs” – the lowest response of any country in the Index.

The question now is whether the young people in Saudi Arabia are ready to take on the roles and responsibilities that will truly take the Kingdom to the next level. Are we equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge about themselves, the future of the world and the workplace, and what they are truly capable of? Or are we just telling them what they need to do in order to continue ‘business as usual’?

The Centre’s white paper also argued that leaders need to focus more on resilience, risk-taking, work-life integration, and other elements such as creating high-performance teams. Otherwise they risk career derailment for themselves and others, as well as compromising the performance and reputation of their organisations.

This is such an important issue. The world is moving fast and the leadership we need for tomorrow is not the same as the leadership we have today. Over the past 25 years, and especially in the past five years, leadership had shifted and changed dramatically. We must now redfine what leadership is – from its approach and efficiency, to its relationship with creativity and innovation.

We need our leaders to be pioneers. Being a ‘leader-by-numbers’ is no longer enough – we can’t rely on good business nous or strategy skills any more. They are important, yes, but leadership in the future will need an increasingly more sophisticated set of skills including awareness, confidence, character, creativity, and more.

It’s these types of leadership skills that we will help to develop at KUN – using a variety of methods and techniques to bring out the very best in people.

We have a particular affinity with two of its Vision Realisation Programs — the Human Capability Development Program, and the Quality of Life Program, which the Saudi Equestrian Federation has played such a significant role in fulfilling.

The Human Capability Development Program aims to ensure that people in Saudi Arabia have the required capabilities to compete globally by instilling values and developing basic and future skills, as well as enhancing knowledge. This is core to our offering as we strive to set new standards in leadership, education and personal growth.

The Quality of Life Program endeavours to nurture and improve individual, familial and societal quality of life, and so do we - this is central to everything KUN stands for. The Quality of Life Program seeks to bolster talent development, job creation, culture, health, fitness, wellbeing, economic diversity, and luxury experiences, and so do we. In fact, we are confident that we can be a catalyst in these areas.

Our outlook, drive, ambition and ethos intertwines us closely with Vision 2030, but there are other initiatives at home and around the world that share our values and aspirations.

We aim to work closely with these international initiatives, and others, to help bring global awareness to the work we are doing within Saudi Arabia, and to show the world that we are leading the way in youth wellbeing, leadership, and development.

We want to develop and retain the best Saudi talent. We want to give them the skills, opportunity and motivation to be part of our nation’s growth – not send them to the Western world to learn their best practices, only to try to shoehorn them into the Kingdom on their return.

The work must be done, and can be done here. This is why Vision 2030 is so important. To us and our youth. This is why NEOM is so important, why Diriyah Gate, Amaala, Qiddiya, the MiSK Foundation, and other ambitious home-grown projects are so important.

We are all speaking the same language with our aspirations, our visions, our missions – And we are proud to be part of this drive to elevate Saudi Arabia and its people. KUN can help in so many ways – certainly in the short-term, but exponentially so in the long-term. And the first step in doing so will be our event in March next year.

The program will warmly welcome participants from four age groups and is open to attendees of all genders. This inclusive approach ensures that everyone has the opportunity to engage and benefit.

Group A

8-10 years old

Group B

11-13 years old

Group C

14-16 years old

Group D

17-20 years old

A safe and supportive area for working individually or collaboratively, the Art Space will help people and teams find creative breakthroughs in their

work, develop new concepts, and - for younger participants - provide a comfortable and engaging setting for exploring new ways of learning, self-growth, decision-making and discovery.

We need our leaders to be pioneers. Being a ‘leader-by-numbers’ is no longer enough – we can’t rely on good business nous or strategy skills any more. They are important, yes, but leadership in the future will need an increasingly more sophisticated set of skills including awareness, confidence, character, creativity, and more.

A study by the US National Endowment for the Arts found that arts education led to better academic outcomes and better career goals, and made youg people more civically engaged, while a 10-year study across of more than 25,000 high school students in the US found that students with lower socio-economic status who had sustained involvement in theatre arts were shown over time to have greater self-confidence, motivation and empathy than their non-arts peers.

Not just environmental sustainability, but economic sustainability, social sustainability, health and wellbeing sustainability, and more.

Vision 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals, and other similar global initiatives show the urgent need for sustainability of all types, and it is essential that we work together now for our success tomorrow and beyond.

Our programs will equip people with the knowledge, tools and motivation they need to build this success, including how to develop sustainable practices, how to form innovative corporate structures, and how to ensure young people not only have the employment opportunities to flourish in the years ahead, but also the necessary life skills, emotional awareness, innovative approach to problem-solving, and compassionate mindset that are essential to creating a positive, sustainable future.

It is not enough for our youth to address current sustainability issues with existing solutions. We want them to be able to find new solutions, and plan ahead to potential future challenges. This capability is something we will strive to give to our attendees.

The United Nations has called on young people to be critical thinkers, change-makers, innovators, communicators and leaders in the fight for sustainable futures. These are the kind of people we aim to develop.

Our programs here are designed to prepare young people for the world of work by providing a non-traditional approach to learning and education. In recent years the education system has become outdated and ill-suited to the realities of the workplace. Young people start their professional lives on the backfoot, and often do not recover. This is detrimental to them, the companies and organisations they are employed at, and the strength of the nation as a whole. Areas that have been particularly neglected are communication and client-relation skills, organisational and prioritisation skills such as time management, and flexibility and adaptability.

The World Bank wrote that in the Middle East the transition period from school to work lasts longer than in other emerging economies, and the rising skills gap between what employers see as crucial skills for a successful career, and the skills youth have, is an enduring labour market issue.

What’s more, an assessment by the Global Partnership for Youth Employment of 57 life skills programs across the MENA region found that only two out of the 10 minimum standards used in the study were met in full.

This simply isn’t good enough.

These psychosocial, interpersonal and emotional skills will help our youth overcome challenges, act positively, and develop to their fullest potential.

These are also vital skills to learn for those already in the professional world. It may be important for young people to use these skills from the bottom up, but it is equally important that existing and future leaders can implement positive change from the top down.

We will also run a leadership program for parents, in order to help them understand the skills we are developing, and give them the tools they need to support their children as they grow.

Our Family Support program will help educate parents about what their children will be going through during the event, and help them to continue KUN’s positive environment when they go back to their homes.

With the help of parents we can achieve more, and achieve it faster, and our group discussions, workshops and activities across the event will help to establish strong family systems that will promote life skill development, healthy decision making, and mental health awareness.

These activities will break stereotypes, reshape family relationships, and give parents and carers a deeper understanding of their children’s needs, and how to support them during sometimes difficult circumstances. All of which will promote the kind of communication, connectedness and wellbeing that is essential for holistically healthy individuals, families and communities who can go on to achieve much more than they would otherwise have been able.

As the name suggests, The Equestrian section will feature equine-guided programs that target a variety of skills including self-confidence and self-esteem, communication, decision-making, empowerment, leadership, overcoming fears, and planning and goal setting.

Unbiased and non judgemental, horses are renowned for their ability to help our true personalities, talents, fears, challenges and qualities rise to the surface, and can be instrumental in teaching us, guiding us, and coaching us to be the best possible versions of ourselves

As well as using Equine Assisted Learning for our ground-based - and occasional riding - exercises, we can also provide Equine Assisted Psychotherapy if the case demands it. EAP focuses on the treatment and counselling elements of personal growth, and can help with issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and more.

Research by Washington State University shows that children who work with horses have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Psychiatrist Patricia Pendry, who led the study, said: “We know from other research that healthy stress hormone patterns may protect against the developmet of physical and mental health problems.”

Meanwhile, researchers at Mississippi State University conducted a study whereby youths aged 6 to 16 and considered at-risk took part in a program focused on teaching them horse behavior, management, handling, and riding, while incorporating the four themes of emotional safety — self-esteem, personal security, respect, and connectivity. The results revealed improvements in equine knowledge and emotional safety, particularly as it related to personal security – a vital building block of youth development.

Our program leaders will take attendees through a series of sporting activities designed to develop critical thinking, problem solving, and other key life skills that will aid and assist their development.

As well as the clear and vitally important physical benefits, sport helps children learn how to cope with the highs and lows of life – teaching resilience, fortitude, maturity, patience, teamwork, discipline, consequences, the value of sincere effort, and more. It also helps young people learn how to control their emotions and channel negative feelings in positive ways, as well as developing their wellbeing, self-esteem, and sense of support and belonging.

The Aspen Institute’s Project Play collated data that highlights the educational, mental, social and emotional benefits of sport, citing studies that show sports activity helps children develop and improve cognitive skills, is associated with improved academic achievement, and can affect attitudes and academic behaviour including enhanced concentration, attention, and classroom behaviour.

The New York Times also reported in 2020 that children who undertook no exercise were twice as likely to have mental health problems, particularly related to anxiety and depression, compared with those who met the recommendation of an hour per day. And that the more physical activity teenagers participated in, the less likely they were to report depression as 18 year olds.

In addition to all this, researchers at Austria’s University of Graz found a clear relationship between healthy lifestyles, positive mood and innovative thiking – showing that being more active meant being more creative.

Our sports program will help young people unlock this creativity, boost their confidence and mental health, and instil vitally important life skills and values in fun and playful ways.

Each individual's journey is unique to them, but every one of them has to start somewhere. KUN is an excellent starting point, no matter the path each client is on, with expert mentors who can facilitate the journey in the best way possible.

Each session will support the individual’s unique development needs and offer practical advice, helping clients to discover potential growth, develop effective decision making, identify goals, increase motivation, gain greater self-awareness, and improve communication and interpersonal skills, among much more.

The benefits of such mentoring are many and varied. British mentoring company Moving Ahead found that 87 per cent of mentors and mentees say their mentoring relationships make them feel empowered and assist them to develop a more prominent sense of confidence in themselves.

US program, Youth Mentor, found - among other statistics - that students with a mentor are 52 per cent less likely to skip a day of school, and 59 per cent of teens with a mentor get better grades than their peers.

Our mentoring program will introduce our attendees to a life-changing practice that has proven to benefit young people around the world – not just in their education, but in workplaces, family settings, and society in general.

Together, we believe that the collective impact of these programs will be profound. On their own, each program will have great benefit, but when combined, they will provide a holistic, comprehensive system of education, support, healing and growth that will pave the way for Saudi Arabia to reach a new level.

In defining Diriyah's vision, we emphasize instilling equestrian values and fostering an elite competitive environment. Our focus aligns with five key pillars: empowerment, excellence, values, development, and youth engagement, mirroring the objectives of KUN's initiatives.

Our programs deeply integrate equestrian principles such as integrity, teamwork, and perseverance, which extend beyond physical training to enhance mental and emotional well-being. These are critical for success across all life's arenas, from sports to academics and beyond.

Diriyah is committed to driving change and achieving excellence. Through partnerships like ours with KUN, we enhance athletes' capabilities, foster creativity among equestrian professionals, and support those aspiring to enter the field and other interests that are in sync with the KUN programs, boosting leadership and soft skills that benefit both the social and business sectors.

Together, our collaboration with Diriyah is creating a sustainable and transformative equestrian landscape in Saudi Arabia, enriching communities through the power of equestrian sports, related activities, and entertainment.

We talk about setting a new standard, and we mean it. A new standard within the workplace, a new standard of service, a new standard of outcomes for clients, and a new standard of excellence when it comes to elevating Saudi Arabia, its people, its organisations and its communities.

We have the opportunity to help transform lives. To transform a nation for the better. We are proud to call Saudi Arabia our home, and are excited about the changes that the government has enacted… And we are determined to use our skills and abilities to benefit the Kingdom through its most precious resource - its people.

At the same time, we intend to make a statement to the world about our country’s status as a global leader. A leader in innovation, in leadership, in growth, in diversity, and in sustainability. Our debut event will set this intention, and insha’Allah its success will allow us to go from strength the strength – hand in hand with Diriyah, with our young people, with our future leaders, and with everybody across the Kingdom who is ready to be a healthier, happier, more confident, more capable version of themselves.