// Venue & travel
SusTAIN 2026 is hosted by University of Prince Mugrin in Madinah — Islam's second-holiest city and home to Al-Masjid an-Nabawi.
// The host
SusTAIN 2026 is hosted by the University of Prince Mugrin (UPM) — a non-profit private university in Madinah, named after Prince Mugrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Founded in 2017 and located on King Khalid Road in Madinah, UPM offers a modern campus with engineering, computer and cyber sciences, business and tourism, architecture, applied medical sciences, and general studies colleges.
UPM is recognized for the Kingdom's first Cybersecurity and AI bachelor programs and runs a 4+1 master's collaboration with Purdue University. The conference will be conducted on-campus, with a hybrid option for remote participants.
At a glance
// The city
Al Madinah Al Munawwarah — “The Enlightened City” — is the second-holiest city in Islam and one of the most spiritually significant places on Earth. It is the city where the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ migrated to in 622 CE and where Al-Masjid an-Nabawi was founded.
Madinah sits at roughly 620 m of altitude in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, surrounded by volcanic plains and the distinctive Mount Uhud to the north. It enjoys a hot desert climate — pleasant in October, when SusTAIN 2026 will be held.
Beyond its religious significance, Madinah is a UNESCO-recognised centre of Islamic civilisation and a fast-growing city of over 1.4 million people. The conference programme includes optional cultural visits to the city's landmark sites.
Population
≈ 1.41 million (2022)
Elevation
620 m above sea level
Region
Hejaz, western Saudi Arabia
October weather
24 – 36 °C, low humidity, mostly clear skies
Local time
AST · UTC+3
Language
Arabic (English widely understood)
// While you are here
From Al-Masjid an-Nabawi and Quba Mosque to Mount Uhud and the city's museums, markets and date farms — Madinah offers far more than can fit on this page. For comprehensive, up-to-date visitor information on the city's landmarks, culture, events and experiences, explore the official Visit Madinah guide.
// Getting there
Madinah is well-connected by air, rail and road. UPM is ~20 minutes from the airport and ~15 km from the Haramain high-speed railway station.
Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED) — direct flights from Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai, Cairo, Istanbul, Doha, and seasonal routes from Europe and Asia.
Haramain High-Speed Railway connects Madinah to Jeddah in ~2 h 15 min and to Makkah in ~2 h 30 min. The Madinah HHR station is ~15 km from UPM.
Highway 15 (Al Hijrah Highway) connects Madinah to Makkah (~450 km) and Jeddah (~420 km). Drive time from MED airport to UPM: ~20 min.
Daily shuttle service between partner hotels and UPM during the conference. Schedule will be published with the final programme.
// Practical tips
