Go Further: MBA International Relations and Diplomacy from Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Build an international outlook while continuing to live in Makkah. The MBA International Relations and Diplomacy, delivered online in exclusive partnership between the University of Cumbria and Robert Kennedy College, brings together business leadership and the study of international affairs. Its ideas can be applied across borders, organisations and sectors—wherever your ambitions take you.
Earn an internationally recognised British degree
Graduating with a British degree from the University of Cumbria can help you present your qualifications with confidence to employers and professional contacts around the world. It is an opportunity to gain a credential with international recognition without relocating from Makkah.
Whether you hope to develop your career in Saudi Arabia or pursue opportunities abroad, the programme offers a way to connect your academic achievement with a wider professional outlook.
Complete your studies 100% online in as little as one year
The programme can be completed entirely online in as little as one year. You can work towards your MBA while remaining in Makkah, without putting your life on hold to move to another city or country.
An achievable route to a postgraduate qualification can make the next step feel closer. Your completion time will depend on your study pace and circumstances, but the online format gives you a way to make meaningful progress alongside other commitments.
Study without fixed online attendance times
You do not need to be online at specific times or dates for live attendance. Instead of arranging your day around a scheduled virtual classroom, you can engage with your studies when it works for you.
That flexibility can be especially valuable when professional and personal responsibilities change from week to week. You can plan your study sessions around your routine while still keeping track of any applicable coursework deadlines.
Keep learning wherever you go
Study from Makkah, elsewhere in Saudi Arabia or anywhere your travels take you. The online format lets you stay connected to your learning even when you are away from your usual workspace.
Through the mobile app, you can download study materials and watch lectures offline. A journey or a change of location need not mean a pause in your progress towards your degree.
Show your understanding through open-book assessments
The programme uses open-book assessments rather than classical question-and-answer exams. This approach gives you the opportunity to consult learning resources as you develop and present your responses.
Instead of relying on recall alone, you can focus on analysing ideas and constructing well-supported arguments—valuable habits when considering complex questions in business, international relations and diplomacy.
Learn from internationally educated faculty
Study with tutors and faculty whose academic backgrounds include world-renowned institutions such as Oxford, Harvard, EPFL, the University of Basel and Washington University in St. Louis. Their varied educational experiences can bring different perspectives to your learning.
For an aspiring international leader, encountering a range of viewpoints is part of the opportunity. It can encourage you to question assumptions, communicate ideas clearly and approach unfamiliar challenges with curiosity.
Join a network spanning more than 130 countries
Become part of a diverse student community drawn from over 130 countries. Learning alongside people with different professional and cultural experiences can broaden the way you think about cooperation, leadership and global challenges.
Alumni work at international organisations and companies including the United Nations, ICRC, The World Bank, WFP, FAO, World Vision, JCI, Aramco, Google, Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, Tencent, Siemens and Sony. Their paths illustrate the breadth of sectors in which members of this international community work.
Spread the cost with interest-free monthly instalments
The programme’s fees can be paid in up to 18 monthly interest-free instalments. This option can make it easier to plan for your studies as part of a monthly budget.
With a clearer payment schedule, you can focus on choosing a study path that fits both your ambitions and your circumstances.
Connect your ambitions to opportunities in Makkah
Makkah’s hospitality and visitor-service sectors operate in an internationally connected environment, welcoming people from many countries. For graduates interested in management within these sectors, the programme’s combination of business and international perspectives may be useful when thinking about cross-cultural communication, stakeholder relationships and service strategy.
The movement of visitors also creates complex questions for transport, logistics and supporting services. An MBA perspective informed by international relations can help graduates consider how organisations coordinate across teams, manage competing priorities and work with a wide range of partners.
Public-service, community and charitable organisations in Makkah may likewise benefit from professionals who can assess challenges through more than one lens. Graduates can draw on the programme’s theoretical foundations when considering collaboration, organisational leadership and the needs of diverse communities—while deciding how best to apply those ideas in their own work.
Take your next step from Makkah
Your current location can be the starting point for an international future. Request our course catalogue to explore the MBA International Relations and Diplomacy and consider where it could take you.