Case Study: Global Children’s Designathon Riyadh 2023

Design and Sustainability for Future Generations

Overview

The Global Children’s Designathon empowers children to design solutions for real challenges linked to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

In 2023, Rukun hosted the first Saudi edition in Riyadh, connecting schools, NGOs and international partners.

  • Our Role

    Rukun organized and ran the event which was hosted at the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh.


    We partnered with Designathon Works and 45+ participating cities worldwide to achieve this.

    With our platinum partner Saudi Aramco alongside esteemed judges from the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and AEON, a local leading sustainable development firm we localized the curriculum to focus on biodiversity and environmental sustainability in Saudi.

  • The Solution

    Children worked in small teams through a design thinking process:

    - Identifying problems linked to biodiversity loss.

    - Sketching ideas and building prototypes.

    - Presenting solutions to expert juries and audiences.

    This interactive methodology combined learning, creativity, and sustainability awareness in a fun, impactful way

  • Impact

    The Riyadh edition of GCD:

    Thirty Saudi children joined their global peers, designed prototypes addressing environmental issues, and presented them to expert juries.

    Produced 12+  innovative prototypes addressing biodiversity challenges.

    Involved local and international experts as mentors and jury members.

    The program showed how global initiatives can take local root, advancing Vision 2030 goals in sustainability, innovation, and human capital, and positioning Saudi Arabia as a regional leader in creative education