Project management: Powering the future from Riyadh to the world

Arab News

15-05-2025

In a world that is being reshaped by vision, velocity and transformation, one discipline sits quietly at the heart of every breakthrough: Project management.
From digital cities rising in the desert to the global race toward clean energy and sustainable innovation, nothing of consequence is built without the hands — and minds — of project leaders. Today, project management is no longer a backstage function. It is the engine driving global progress.
Nowhere is this more evident than in Saudi Arabia. As we move boldly toward Vision 2030, the Kingdom is delivering megaprojects of historic scale and reimagining how the world plans, leads and delivers change. From NEOM and Qiddiya to green hydrogen hubs and digital infrastructure, Saudi Arabia has become a living laboratory of what is possible.
And at the center of this transformation stands the Global Project Management Forum, or GPMF — a platform born in Riyadh, and built for the world.
In May 2025, GPMF will once again welcome the world to Riyadh, bringing together more than 100 nations, institutions and thought leaders to ignite new ideas, forge global partnerships and unlock the full potential of the profession. GPMF is a global movement, championing the power of people, processes and technology to shape a better tomorrow.
This year's theme, 'Next-Gen Project Management: The Power of People, Processes, and Technology,' is a call to action. We are standing at the edge of a new era — one driven by artificial intelligence, sustainability and rising generations of talent who dare to lead differently. GPMF is where those forces converge, where ideas turn into impact.
In my journey as a project leader, I have learned that real transformation does not start with blueprints or budgets — it starts with belief. Belief that we can dream bigger. Build smarter. And lead with purpose. That is the essence of project management. And that is the spirit of GPMF.
What began as a regional gathering has grown into one of the most influential forums on the global stage — because the world sees what Saudi Arabia is doing. We are delivering on Vision 2030 by shaping how the future is managed, one project at a time.
To every policymaker, innovator and changemaker: The future demands bold leadership, and project managers are rising to that call.
We invite you to be part of this journey. Join us in Riyadh. Join the movement. Help us to shape the future — together.
• Badr Mohammed Burshaid is the founder and chairman of the Global Project Management Forum, of which Arab News is a media partner, and has been the president of the Project Management Office Global Alliance at Saudi Hub since June 2022.