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Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) announced today it has successfully concluded the Urban Innovation Leadership Program, a two-week leadership development initiative conducted in partnership with the Misk Foundation.
The program, held from September 7 to18 in Seoul, brought together members of the Saudi Leadership Society and alumni of Misk leadership programs. Participants were jointly nominated and selected by Hyundai Motor Group and Misk Foundation.
The initiative combines Misk Foundation’s leadership ecosystem and understanding of the Saudi context with Hyundai Motor Group’s technology, industry expertise and Korean innovation experience. Through this partnership, participants explored developments across smart cities, autonomous mobility, the hydrogen economy, digital twin technology and the robotics industry.
What Value Does the Program Create?
The program strengthens the partnership between Hyundai Motor Group and Misk Foundation through leadership development, knowledge exchange, and exposure to innovation.
Misk Foundation contributes its leadership ecosystem and understanding of the Saudi context, while Hyundai Motor Group brings its technology, industry expertise, and experience in Korean innovation. Together, the two organizations provide participants with opportunities to exchange perspectives, deepen their knowledge, and explore approaches relevant to Saudi Arabia’s ongoing development.
The initiative also contributes to long-term relationship building between the two organizations. Over time, the knowledge and connections developed through the partnership may create opportunities for further collaboration across smart cities, smart mobility, the hydrogen economy, and digital infrastructure, while supporting the broader objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
The program represents a fundamental shift in how the Group engages Saudi Arabia—moving beyond technology provision to policy-level collaboration. By working with Saudi’s senior government officials, the Group positions itself as a strategic partner in shaping regulatory and infrastructure frameworks and establishing the groundwork for a systematic Korea-Saudi policy dialogue platform.
This strategy also opens diversified business pathways across smart cities, smart mobility, hydrogen economy, and digital infrastructure. Rather than focusing solely on technology alone, the Group is establishing long-term institutional foundations for partnerships aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, an ambitious national development agenda emphasizing environmental sustainability, technological innovation, and economic diversification.
“This program represents our commitment to supporting Saudi Vision 2030. By sharing Korea’s policies, technologies, and implementation cases, the program laid a meaningful foundation for Saudi Arabia’s policy development. For Hyundai Motor Group, Saudi Arabia represents far more than a strategic market—it is a partner with whom we share a common future vision.” – Hokeun Chung, Executive Vice President and Head of Future Strategy Division, Hyundai Motor Group
“Our partnership with Hyundai Motor Group reflects Misk’s commitment to investing in Saudi leaders and expanding their access to relevant international expertise. Through the Saudi Leadership Society, we continue to engage the graduates of Misk’s leadership programs with opportunities that respond to their professional responsibilities and the Kingdom’s development priorities. This program offered its members valuable perspectives on urban innovation that can create impact within the organizations and sectors they serve, while contributing to the wider ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030.” – Torky Al-Sajjan, Executive Director of Development and Partnerships, Mohammed bin Salman Foundation “Misk”
What Were the Programs?
The two-week Urban Innovation Leadership Program followed a structured learning pathway that brought together Hyundai Motor Group’s expertise and Misk Foundation’s understanding of the Saudi context to deepen participants’ knowledge and support practical learning.
- Learn: Participants engaged with Korea’s approaches through lectures covering smart city strategies, autonomous mobility, hydrogen economy transitions, and digital infrastructure development.
- Experience: The group visited leading implementations including Smart City Integrated Center, autonomous vehicle test bed, hydrogen ecosystem sites, and related smart infrastructure facilities to understand Korea’s practical approaches.
- Explore: Participants explored Hyundai Motor Group’s innovation centers to learn about the Group’s technology and innovation in smart cities, smart mobility, smart home, and digital platforms.
- Collaborate: The program concluded with joint workshops where participants exchanged perspectives, identified opportunities for knowledge sharing, and explored practical applications aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 across smart cities, mobility, energy, and industrial solutions.
The combination of knowledge exchange and practical exposure enabled participants to examine global approaches through the lens of their own leadership responsibilities. It also created opportunities to build professional relationships and encourage continued exchange between Saudi and Korean leaders and experts.
How Does This Program Deepen the Partnership?
The program builds on the partnership between Hyundai Motor Group and Misk Foundation. In 2024, the Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Misk Foundation, a Saudi nonprofit foundation dedicated to cultivating Saudi Arabia’s youth leadership and fostering innovation ecosystems.
The Urban Innovation Leadership Program represents the next chapter of that partnership, bringing together the complementary strengths of both organizations to advance leadership development, innovation, knowledge exchange, and the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.