Earn a Global MBA in Saudi Arabia Without Pausing Your Career
Study part-time through flexible learning and face-to-face workshops in Riyadh. Build practical leadership skills, learn from world-renowned faculty and join a network of global business leaders.
Ranked 40th in the world
QS World University Rankings 2027
Triple, acclaimed accreditations
from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA
Blended delivery
Online classes, face-to-face workshop residentials including Riyadh, and business projects
Accredited by
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Licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (UAE).
Programmes accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (UAE).
Key Information
Qualification: Global MBA, triple accredited by AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA
Duration: 24 months, flexible up to 5 years. Global Finance Accelerated MBA: 18 months
Workload: Approximately 20 hours per week
Intakes: January and July | Celebrating 20 years in the Middle East with 20% off
Workshop locations: Riyadh, Dubai, Manchester, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore
How to apply
The Global MBA welcomes new students every January and July. Applying involves an online application, an admissions test, and a decision typically within two weeks of a complete application.
View the full application process
Contact: mba.me@manchester.ac.uk | +971 (0)4 446 8664
A part-time MBA in Saudi Arabia that fits around your career
Plan for approximately 20 hours of study per week. You can choose between two routes, depending on your experience and qualifications.
Structure
Global MBA
For professionals with at least three years of experience, strong career progression and a recognised degree.
- 2 years of study time, flexible up to 5 years
- 31 teaching days across five workshop residencies
- Elective workshops at any of our global locations
Global Finance Accelerated MBA
For professionals with at least three years of experience and a professional finance qualification, such as ACA, ACCA or CIMA.
- 18 months of study time
- 27 teaching days across five workshop residencies
- Elective workshops at any of our global locations
Both routes cover the same curriculum, and the Finance Accelerated MBA is delivered in a shorter timeframe.
How you study
Online learning
Live lectures, virtual workshops, virtual office hours with world-leading academics, online student surgeries, a digital library, discussion forums, and pre-sessional study skills courses.
Workshop residentials
Most courses include an intensive, three-day workshop with faculty and your cohort. In year one, core workshops are held in Manchester; in year two, you choose your electives at any of our global locations, including Riyadh, Dubai, Hong Kong, Manchester, Shanghai and Singapore. Around 50% of students attend a workshop overseas during the programme, and we provide six nights of accommodation across two global locations for electives taken outside your home location.
Workshops are a chance to step away from daily distractions, build a strong cohort, work on real business problems with renowned academics and practitioners, and make connections that support your career. You can flex your workshops to include more blended or face-to-face learning to suit your commitments.
Course Units
Pre-MBA
Manchester MBA Preparation Course (Online)
Once you have been offered a place in our MBA programme and paid a reservation fee, you have exclusive access to our Manchester MBA Preparation course. This online course helps you understand what studying at Manchester is like, how you write academic assignments and most importantly, what 'Learning by Doing' really means.You can rediscover key study skills, undertake Business Essentials courses in Marketing and Operations Management, and meet the teams supporting you. The course takes around 15 hours, and you can complete it at your own pace. There are many opportunities to apply your skills and new knowledge.
Core Courses
Leading Global Transitions
This course explores two critical challenges facing contemporary businesses: to redefine the purpose of the firm in the 21st century, transitioning to a stakeholder value-driven model and to redesign business models for a global net zero economy.
What you'll learn
- Understand how companies use environmental, social and governance (ESG) to manage these two transitions
- Understand the drivers behind these transitions, including concepts like financialisation, shareholder value maximisation, corporate governance, and firm purpose
- Analyse how ESG frameworks support firms to transition to achieve social and environmental responsibility
- Examine how ESG helps companies to transition to a net zero economy.
The module equips you with the knowledge and tools to lead organisations through these transformative global challenges.
It is delivered through a 3-day in-person workshop and online learning.
Leading People and Organisations
This core course explores organisational behaviour, focusing on the management practices and organisational structures found in contemporary organisations and their effects on people’s behaviour.
What you’ll learn
- Evaluate the reasons behind contemporary management practices and their impact on behaviour
- Understand key organisational dynamics, including motivation, leadership, and team performance
- Explore the structures and cultures of organisations and their role in shaping behaviour
- Develop strategies for managing change effectively within complex organisations
- Apply research-based frameworks and ideas to real-world management challenges.
The module equips you with the knowledge and skills to respond to modern management challenges, enhancing your ability to lead and inspire in diverse organisational settings.
It is delivered through a 3-day in-person workshop and online learning.
Operationalising and Communicating Value
This course will provide you with key knowledge about Operations and Marketing and takes an integrative approach of bringing these two business functions together.
You'll explore the interactions and synergies, as well as the potential tensions, between these two business perspectives.
What you’ll learn
- Customer understanding and value creation: Analyse customer needs, market positioning, and how to translate this into product and pricing strategies
- Marketing and communications strategy: Develop channels and messaging to communicate value propositions to target audiences
- Operations and supply chain design: Explore how to design and deliver effective operations strategies and to manage supply chains that align with business objectives
- Critical analysis and decision-making: Evaluate the fit of marketing and operations management decisions using data-driven approaches, while recognising limitations and inconsistencies in data sources
- Professional communication and collaboration: Enhance your ability to write, present, and collaborate effectively to tackle marketing and operational challenges.
The module develops integrated marketing and operations expertise, builds critical thinking skills, and provides practical frameworks to solve real-world business challenges.
It is delivered through a 4-day in-person workshop and online learning.
Business Accounting and Finance
This course is divided into two parts: Understanding and Measuring Business Value and Creating Financial Value.
The first part focuses on analysing value from multiple perspectives, while the second emphasizes strategic financial decisions that enhance long-term organisational success.
What you’ll learn
- Explore the differences between cash, profit, and net book value and analyse financial statements such as cash budgets and profit and loss accounts
- Evaluate accounting techniques and the role of international financial reporting standards (IFRS) in determining what can and cannot be valued
- Consider broader dimensions of value – societal, environmental, cultural, and operational – and develop innovative thinking to address them
- Understand the time value of money and its impact on project evaluation and financial asset valuation
- Learn to make strategic financing decisions that influence future profits and ensure organizational sustainability.
The module equips you with the critical skills and strategic insights needed to drive financial success and create lasting value for your organisation.
It involves a 3-day in-person workshop with one virtual learning workshop, delivered across three weekly online sessions (each lasting three hours), along with additional online learning.
Strategy and Innovation
This two-part core course builds your ability to think strategically and make high-impact decisions in competitive, fast-changing environments. In Part A, you’ll explore the economics behind strategic thinking; in Part B, you’ll apply those insights to real-world business challenges.
What you’ll learn
In Part A:
- Apply microeconomics and game theory to strategic decision-making
- Understand how ESG and innovation influence firm behaviour
- Analyse the impact of governance, management, and market dynamics.
In Part B:
- Evaluate industry dynamics and identify strategic opportunities
- Design growth-focused, sustainable business strategies
- Use data and case analysis to guide real-world decisions.
The module is ideal for ambitious MBA students who want to strengthen their analytical thinking, build a strategic decision-making toolkit, and excel as leaders in today’s dynamic business landscape.
Part A is delivered through a 2-day in-person workshop, a 1-day virtual workshop, and guided online learning.
Part B is delivered through a 4-day in-person workshop and online learning.
Developing Managerial & Career Success
This course explores the foundational concept that effective management of others begins with managing yourself. It helps you define, develop, and sustain both managerial and career success.
What you’ll learn
- Understand the factors that shape managerial and career success
- Enhance self-control and self-regulation of thoughts, emotions, and behaviours
- Develop a positive reputation and effective influence strategies
- Build strong working relationships for professional growth
- Explore career development, global career planning, and strategies for resilience and adaptability.
The module equips you with the tools to navigate complex career challenges and achieve success as a manager and leader.
It is delivered through a 3-day virtual workshop and online learning.
Applied Learning
Live Business Project
The live business project allows you to explore an entrepreneurial venture in a sector of your choice or tackle a critical business issue for your organisation. This will help you stand out and deliver real value in the workplace.
It's an opportunity to try something you've always wanted to do while gaining invaluable, practical business experience to enrich your CV.
Example projects:
- Rediscovering Kellogg Nutri-Grain Bar's Competitive Mojo
- A study into the effectiveness of the Corporate Parent in delivering value to stakeholders
- The lean start-up: 'Fit-for-life'
- The effects of earned media on brand preference, purchase intention and sales performance: a study on infant formula brands
- Segmenting and targeting Chinese e-lock consumers
- Identifying and quantifying the critical success factors for taxi-hailing mobile apps
- Helping Salesforce.com support the re-integration of unemployed job-seekers into the labour market
- A study of non-household consumer switching in England’s water market
Electives
Electives (choose three)
This is your chance to customise the MBA to suit your goals and interests. Our electives span many popular fields of expertise including: entrepreneurship and innovation; finance; HR management; leadership and management practice; marketing; projects, and technology.
We deliver electives across our global locations in Dubai, Hong Kong, Manchester, Shanghai and Singapore. If you choose to study overseas, you’ll benefit from the opportunity to widen your international network and sharpen your knowledge of the global business environment.
Current electives:
- Business-to-Business Marketing
- Corporate News and Shareholder Value
- Engaging Human Talent
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management
- Exploring Decision Making in Practice
- International Business Strategy
- Negotiation Skills
- Platform Ecosystem Strategy
- Practical Investing
- Strategic Financial Analysis
- Leading Business Projects
- Strategic Supply Chain Management
- The Sustainable Change Agenda
- Venture Capital Private Equity
- Design Thinking, Creativity and Co-creation
- Work Psychology for Managerial Success (up to Jan 2026)
Digital electives:
- Big Data Analytics
- Digital Economy: Platforms, AI & the Firm
- Digital Marketing Strategy
- Fin Tech Digital Banking and Blockchain
- Information Systems and Digital Strategies
- Managing Disruptive Technologies
To give you added flexibility, we offer some electives that are entirely online or that include longer/shorter face-to-face workshops.
MBA+
MBA+
MBA+ is a suite of added value extra-curricular experiences that will help you define your goals, enhance your interpersonal skills, build your corporate connections and raise your profile worldwide.
Running parallel with the academic programme, these activities are not credit-bearing. They are designed to give you targeted support and motivation to help you through the MBA and beyond, with opportunities to connect and grow. You will have the opportunity to take part in the following activities:
- Networking events
- Online careers seminars
- Employability sessions
- Careers guidance
- Alumni socials
- Alumni speaker events
- Alumni groups and more
Workshop schedule
The workshop schedule for the Saudi Arabia cohort, including the Riyadh workshops, is to be confirmed.
A Global MBA delivered closer to home, with workshops in Riyadh
The University of Manchester – Dubai is extending its Global MBA workshop experience to Riyadh. Designed for working professionals, the Global MBA combines flexible online learning with faculty-led workshops, allowing you to continue building your career while developing your leadership capabilities and international business perspective.
If you are looking for an MBA in Riyadh, you can join faculty-led workshops at Academy from stc, with the rest of your learning online and built around your working week.
You can also take elective workshops at our global locations in Dubai, Manchester, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. Wherever you attend, you receive the same teaching from the same internationally renowned academics.
Our community in Saudi Arabia
You study alongside peers who understand your market. Our Saudi Arabia community includes:
730+
members in our Saudi Arabia community
1 in 5
alumni in senior leadership
13%+
at executive level (CEOs, CFOs, COOs and Board Members)
In Saudi Arabia specifically, our community has grown to over 730 members, including 500+ alumni and 204 current students, offering a genuine, in-Kingdom network of peers and mentors.
Members work across banking and finance, healthcare and pharma, information technology, manufacturing and telecommunications, among other sectors. You also join a wider Manchester network of 60,000 alumni from 176 countries, and learn alongside executives from 90 countries.
Career impact
The Global MBA develops your strategic vision, leadership skills and ethical approach to decision-making, so you can deliver visible impact in business. It is recognised internationally, and the skills apply across the sectors that shape Saudi Arabia's economy, including banking and finance, healthcare, technology and manufacturing.
- Broaden your leadership and management skills
- Strengthen your earning potential
- Build a network of like-minded professionals
The Manchester difference
You build practical skills you can apply straight away, in businesses of any size or sector in Saudi Arabia.
- One of the largest professional MBA cohorts in the world
- Study alongside professionals from organisations such as AstraZeneca, IBM and KPMG, with exposure to global business practice
- Learn from faculty and industry academics with global expertise, who travel to each workshop location so teaching quality is consistent wherever you study
- Immediate value for your organisation and your career
MBA in Saudi Arabia fees and funding
Please find below our tuition fees for the MBA programmes commencing January 2027. If you need assistance or want to speak to a programme counsellor, please contact us; we will gladly help.
Global MBA - Total Tuition Fee - GBP £42,064.05 paid as follows:
Global MBA Fees
GBP 42,064.05
GBP 2,000
GBP 8,516.02
GBP 10,516.01
GBP 10,516.01
GBP 10,516.01
Global MBA Finance Accelerated - Total Tuition Fee - GBP £39,487.35 paid as follows:
Global MBA Fees
GBP 39,487.35
GBP 2,000
GBP 11,162.45
GBP 13,162.45
GBP 13,162.45
Discount Policy
- STP Discount
- ESAAD STP Discount (UAE Residents only)
15%
20%
- Corporate Discount (2 - 4 Confirmed Students)
- Corporate Discount (5 - 9 Confirmed Students)
- Corporate Discount (10+ Confirmed Students)
10%
12.50%
15%
20%
- Bursary
- Family Loyalty Discount
- Student Referral Discount
10-15%
10%
15%
10%
*** Limited places are available for discretionary discount that is with the discount pot allocation
Terms & Conditions
- Discounts/Scholarships cannot be availed together. In case a candidate is eligible for more than one category of discount/scholarship they can only avail the one with a higher value.
- There are limited places available for the Discretionary discounts and will be subject to available of the scholarship budget
- Family Loyalty discount only applies to immediate family/first degree relatives i.e. parents, siblings, spouse, children of University of Manchester alumni or current students
- Candidates availing the ESAAD card discount should be having a valid card either under their name or immediate family/first degree relatives i.e. parents, siblings, spouse, children
- Student Referral discounts are for those new students who came as a referral from our alumni and current students.
Company Sponsorship
Many companies sponsor employees for the Global MBA programme. We can help you create a business case that outlines the benefits to your organisation. We can also schedule a meeting or call your HR department to discuss the programme. Please get in touch with us to find out more.
Further, we have Strategic Talent Partnerships with several organisations. Our STPs get a preferential rate. Click HERE to see if your organisation is an STP.
Easy Payment options at The University of Manchester - Dubai
Students can pay their semester or full tuition fees using an Emirates NBD or Emirates Islamic credit card. Click here for more information. Apart from this, you can also connect with a programme counsellor to discuss the available Payment Plan.
Entry Requirements
Academic Qualifications:
- Strong undergraduate degree (UK bachelor's or international equivalent recognised by UK NARIC) from a recognised university. Higher-level degrees are also acceptable.
- Grade should be equivalent to UK first class or upper second class honours. Candidates are expected to be in the top 25% of their class.
- Open to any discipline, but numeracy, critical thinking, and a good awareness of economic and international affairs are essential.
Professional Experience:
- At least three years of postgraduate work experience with strong, consistent career progression and achievement (full-time work experience from completion of your undergraduate degree to commencement of the MBA).
- Leadership/management experience, client relationship management, financial/budgetary responsibility, project management/leadership, strategic decision-making. A diverse range of professional backgrounds is welcomed, including non-traditional business sectors, including military, healthcare, legal, leisure/sports, and the creative arts and alumni working in successful careers in many non-traditional business sectors.
- A strong CV showing a good level of responsibility, consistent and ideally fast-track career progression, strong achievements for the length of your career demonstrating impact in your organisation, and higher-than-average performance in your industry sector or function compared to your peers.
Professional Qualifications:
- For Global MBA: At least three years' work experience, with evidence of strong consistent career progression and achievement.
- For Global Finance Accelerated MBA: A professional accountancy qualification is required (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIMA, ACMA).
Skills and Competencies:
- Analytical skills, numeracy, negotiation, presentation, problem-solving, reasoning, creativity, and the ability to generate ideas.
- Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Additional Considerations:
- International Exposure: Valued but not essential. Experience living, working, or collaborating internationally enhances your application.
- Entrepreneurial Experience: Valued for innovation and ability to contribute ideas and perspective to the MBA class.
Admissions Test:
A strong score on the GMAT®, GRE®, or Manchester Admissions Test is required.
Frequently asked questions
Can I earn an MBA degree in Saudi Arabia with Manchester?
You can study for an MBA degree while living and working in Saudi Arabia. Teaching combines online learning with face-to-face workshops, including workshops in Riyadh. You can also choose to attend elective workshops at our other global locations.
Can I study an MBA in Riyadh?
You can attend Global MBA workshops face to face in Riyadh at Academy from stc, with the rest of your learning online. The programme is delivered by The University of Manchester – Dubai, so Riyadh is a workshop location rather than a full campus.
Is this an online MBA in Saudi Arabia, or a distance MBA?
It is a blended MBA. Online learning is central to the programme, with live lectures, virtual workshops and office hours, but you also attend face-to-face workshops. If you want a fully online or distance MBA in Saudi Arabia with no in-person teaching, this is not that format. If you want online flexibility alongside face-to-face teaching and a cohort you meet in person, it may suit you well.
Can I study a part-time MBA in Saudi Arabia while working full time?
Yes. The Global MBA is designed for working professionals. Plan for approximately 20 hours of study per week over 24 months, extendable to 5 years. Most courses include an intensive, three-day workshop rather than weekly classes on campus.
How much does an MBA in Saudi Arabia cost with Manchester?
MBA in Saudi Arabia fees for the Global MBA total GBP 42,064.05, and GBP 39,487.35 for the Global Finance Accelerated MBA. Fees are set in GBP and paid in instalments, and many employers sponsor the programme. See the fees section for current details.
How do I choose the best MBA in Saudi Arabia?
The right MBA depends on your goals, but four checks apply to any programme. Look at accreditation, the format and how it fits your schedule, the strength of the alumni and peer network, and whether your employer or sponsor recognises the qualification. Then speak to alumni about their experience. We can connect you with current students and alumni ambassadors.
Is Manchester an MBA university in Saudi Arabia?
The Global MBA is delivered by The University of Manchester – Dubai, with face-to-face workshops in Riyadh and online learning. It is not a Saudi-based campus programme, so compare it with other MBA universities in Saudi Arabia on accreditation, format and network.
Which MBA programmes in Saudi Arabia does Manchester offer?
Professionals in Saudi Arabia can choose between the Global MBA (24 months) and the Global Finance Accelerated MBA (18 months), which is open to those with a professional accountancy qualification. Both cover the same curriculum. The MBA courses in Saudi Arabia are taught online, with face-to-face workshops at our global locations, and include core units in leadership, strategy, finance and operations, plus electives and a live business project.
Can my employer sponsor my MBA?
Yes, many companies sponsor employees on the Global MBA. We can help you build a business case and arrange a call with your HR department. Organisations that hold a Strategic Talent Partnership with us may also receive a preferential rate.
Got questions? We're here to help.
You're about to make a big step in your professional life and a big step for Saudi Arabia's next generation of leaders. If you're uncertain about any aspect of the programme, entry requirements, or how it fits your career goals, our advisors are ready to talk.
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