About the Program
The Women’s Leadership in Energy Diplomacy (WEDL) is an executive leadership program designed to prepare Saudi women leaders with a comprehensive understanding of global energy diplomacy while strengthening their capabilities in leadership, policymaking, negotiation, and international partnership building.
The program combines strategic learning with practical international exposure through two main phases: a strategic phase in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, followed by an international phase in a global capital, featuring high-level meetings, institutional visits, and discussions with decision-makers and experts across the global energy sector.
Cohort One (2025)
- Participants: 14 Saudi women leaders.
- Phase One – Riyadh: Strategic training focused on energy policy, diplomacy, leadership, and decision-making.
- Phase Two – Washington, D.C.: An international program featuring visits to government institutions, international organizations, and research centers to deepen participants’ understanding of global energy systems and policymaking.
Cohort Two (2026)
- Participants: 21 Saudi women leaders.
- Phase One – Riyadh: Strategic training focused on energy policy, diplomacy, leadership, and decision-making.
- Phase Two – Vienna: An executive international program including visits to leading global institutions such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund), in addition to engagements with international leaders and energy diplomacy experts.
Program Outcomes
- Strengthened understanding of energy diplomacy and international energy policy.
- Enhanced leadership, negotiation, policymaking, and crisis management skills.
- Expanded professional networks with international institutions and decision-makers.
Empowered Saudi women leaders to represent the Kingdom in international forums.
