SDG11: SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, "Sustainable Cities and Communities," underscores the importance of creating urban environments that are inclusive, safe, resilient, and environmentally sustainable. Kuwait, with its rapidly growing urban centers, recognizes the significance of this goal, and GUST Gulf University actively contributes to fostering sustainable cities and communities within Kuwait.
Sustainable Cities and Communities in Kuwait:
Kuwait has initiated several strategies to promote sustainable urban development:
1. Urban Planning: Kuwait emphasizes responsible urban planning and design to ensure that its cities are well-organized, resilient to climate change, and capable of accommodating growing populations.
2. Infrastructure Development: The country invests in modern infrastructure, including transportation networks, public spaces, and amenities, to enhance the quality of life for its citizens.
3. Environmental Protection: Kuwait is taking measures to protect its natural environment, preserve green spaces, and improve waste management systems to create cleaner and healthier urban areas.
4. Affordable Housing: The government addresses housing affordability to ensure that citizens have access to quality housing, reducing homelessness and overcrowding.
GUST's Contribution:
GUST actively promotes sustainable cities and communities through various initiatives:
1. Sustainable Campus: GUST has implemented sustainable practices on its campus, including energy-efficient buildings, waste reduction programs, and green spaces. The university sets an example of environmentally responsible infrastructure.
2. Research and Education: GUST offers academic programs and conducts research focused on urban sustainability, city planning, and community development. Faculty and students engage in projects that address urban challenges.
3. Community Engagement: The university collaborates with local authorities and community organizations on projects related to sustainable development and community empowerment. These partnerships aim to address local challenges and enhance community well-being.
4. Sustainable Transportation: GUST encourages eco-friendly transportation options among students and staff, reducing the carbon footprint associated with commuting.
Support of Arts and Heritage
GUST plays an active role in preserving, celebrating, and promoting arts and cultural heritage both on campus and within the wider community. Through its facilities, student clubs, academic departments, and community partnerships, the University provides students and the public with meaningful access to cultural resources, creative expression, and heritage-based learning experiences. Whether through library services, museum and exhibition visits, public art performances, or cultural festivals, GUST continually fosters an environment where arts, history, and local traditions are valued and shared. These efforts directly support SDG 11 by enriching cultural awareness, strengthening community identity, and ensuring that heritage remains accessible to all.
Access to GUST Library
GUST supports SDG 11.2.2 by ensuring that its university library is accessible not only to students and faculty but also to alumni and members of the wider community. Through a structured membership system, external users can apply for access to the library’s facilities, printed collections, research databases, study areas, and academic support services. This ensures that high-quality educational resources—including books, journals, archival materials, and reference services—remain available to all the those who need it. The library’s commitment to openness promotes lifelong learning and expands educational opportunities for individuals beyond the university.
In addition to lending services and open study spaces, the GUST Library regularly hosts academic exhibitions, reading initiatives, and public learning sessions that welcome school groups, researchers, and community members. These activities strengthen the library’s role as a cultural and educational hub, reinforcing SDG 11’s goal of building inclusive, safe, and sustainable communities.
Museum Visits
The GUST Accounting Club organized educational trips to museums such as Sadu House and Bait Al Othman Museum in 2024, opening the experience to all GUST students as well as interested members of the public. This initiative provided participants with free access to Kuwait’s significant heritage museums, offering a rich, firsthand understanding of the nation’s cultural evolution, traditions, and historical milestones. These kinds of activities make it easier for students to access museums and learn outside the classroom, especially for those who may not regularly visit such spaces on their own.
This initiative fits directly under SDG 11.2.3, which focuses on increasing public access to museums and cultural venues. By encouraging students and the wider community to take part in these visits, GUST helps promote cultural awareness, appreciation of national history, and a stronger connection to Kuwait’s heritage. It also shows GUST’s commitment to offering meaningful learning experiences that extend beyond campus.
Green Spaces around GUST Campus
GUST provides several open green spaces across its campus, offering a welcoming environment that is freely accessible to students, staff, visitors, and members of the surrounding community. These landscaped areas, such as lawns, shaded seating spots, and tree-lined walkways, serve as peaceful spaces for relaxation, studying, socializing, and outdoor activities. By maintaining these green zones as open and accessible at all times, GUST directly supports SDG 11.2.4, which emphasizes ensuring permanent free public access to safe, inclusive, and well-maintained green spaces. These spaces not only enhance the campus atmosphere but also contribute to overall well-being by promoting time outdoors and encouraging community interaction within a natural setting.
Piano Night at GUST
On 16 November 2025, GUST hosted a Piano Night featuring a series of live musical performances that brought together students, faculty, and community guests for an evening celebrating creativity and artistic expression. The event showcased talented performers from across the university, contributing to the cultural life of both the campus and the wider community. By organizing public artistic events such as this, GUST actively supports SDG 11.2.5, which highlights the importance of universities contributing to local arts through performances and cultural programming. Piano Night stands as one of the many ways GUST nurtures the arts, encourages student talent, and enriches Kuwait’s cultural landscape.
GUST Music Night
In December 2024, the GUST Music Club hosted a lively Music Night on campus that quickly became one of the semester’s most attended community events. The night featured performances not only from GUST student musicians but also from a few local indie bands who were invited to join the lineup. The mix of styles—acoustic sets, band performances, and student solo acts—created a fun, open atmosphere that encouraged people from both inside and outside the university to come together and enjoy an evening of live music.
What made the event especially meaningful was that it was completely free and open to the public. Families, students, and visitors from the wider community were able to attend, turning the event into a shared cultural experience rather than a campus-only activity. This reflects GUST’s commitment to making the arts accessible and supporting student creativity in a way that reaches beyond the classroom.
The Music Night aligns with SDG 11.2.5, which emphasizes the importance of public artistic performances in enriching local culture. It demonstrates how GUST encourages cultural participation, supports student talent, and contributes to the artistic life of the wider community. Events like this help foster a vibrant, inclusive cultural environment, one where creativity is celebrated and shared openly with everyone.
Celebrating National & Liberation Day Week at GUST
GUST’s annual National and Liberation Day celebrations serve as one of the University’s strongest contributions to SDG 11.2.6. Each year, the campus transforms into a vibrant showcase of Kuwaiti history, traditions, and artistic expression—helping students, visitors, and the wider community experience and appreciate the country’s cultural identity firsthand.
The Office of Student Life, together with the Student Association, redesigned the campus into a miniature version of old Kuwait, inspired by the historic Mubarakiya Souq. Traditional wooden arches, vintage market stalls, and culturally themed installations recreated the atmosphere of Kuwait’s past. Craftsmen such as basket weavers, gold crafters, and perfumers demonstrated traditional professions, offering students and visitors a living record of Kuwait’s intangible heritage. A graffiti wall created by a GUST student also paid tribute to iconic symbols from Kuwaiti culture, further reinforcing the theme of cultural preservation.
The week included a range of events—traditional music performances, sword dances, cultural exhibitions, and heritage-focused workshops—to immerse the community in Kuwait’s folklore, customs, and national history. The highlight was the GUST x Kuwait Tribute Performance, featuring original music, traditional dances, and collaborations with renowned Kuwaiti artists such as Bashar Al Shatti. These artistic contributions not only celebrated national pride but also ensured that cultural expressions, stories, and practices are actively passed on to the next generation.
In addition, GUST welcomed students from nearly 30 local schools to its annual Open House during the celebrations. This event exposed young learners to Kuwait’s cultural legacy while strengthening civic identity and shared national values. Complementary seminars by distinguished speakers covering topics such as invasion memories, women’s roles in Kuwait, and the evolution of public communication, offered deeper perspectives on the country’s social history.
Through this week-long celebration, GUST directly contributes to preserving and promoting local and national cultural heritage, making it accessible to both its own students and the wider community. By actively documenting, showcasing, and revitalizing intangible traditions, the University fulfils the core goals of SDG 11.2.6, ensuring that Kuwait’s rich cultural identity remains alive, recognized, and appreciated for generations to come.
Sustainable Practices
Gulf University for Science and Technology is committed to fostering a sustainable and efficient campus environment that contributes to the development of safe and environmentally responsible communities. Through continuous improvements in campus operations, responsible resource management, and the adoption of eco-friendly infrastructure and landscaping practices, GUST demonstrates its dedication to minimizing its environmental footprint while promoting long-term sustainability. The University’s efforts reflect the values of SDG 11 by ensuring that its facilities, buildings, and green spaces support a healthy, accessible, and future-oriented learning environment for students, staff, and the wider community.
Sustainable Commuting Targets
GUST actively supports sustainable and low-impact commuting by providing convenient alternatives to individual car use. The University operates a daily shuttle bus service that transports students and staff between campus and nearby locations, helping reduce the number of private vehicles entering the campus and lowering overall traffic and emissions. Inside the university grounds, electric carts are available throughout the parking and academic areas, offering an efficient, eco-friendly way for community members to move around without relying on fuel-based transportation.
These initiatives directly support SDG 11.4.1, as GUST has implemented structured measures that encourage more sustainable commuting habits. At the same time, they fulfill SDG 11.4.2 by actively promoting greener transportation choices, decreasing carbon emissions, and creating a more accessible and environmentally responsible campus environment. Through these efforts, GUST continues to prioritize sustainability in everyday mobility while making commute options easier and cleaner for everyone.
Allowing Remote and Flexible Working
GUST supports more sustainable and flexible work practices by allowing employees to work remotely when their responsibilities or circumstances require it. Staff members who receive tasks that can be completed outside the office, or who meet specific approved conditions, may apply for an official remote-work assignment through the university’s internal portal. Once approved, employees are fully authorized to work off-campus while remaining accountable through standard reporting and task-completion procedures. This approach not only supports staff well-being and productivity but also aligns with SDG 11.4.3, as it helps reduce daily commuting, lowers transportation-related emissions, and promotes more sustainable work arrangements across the institution.
Affordable Housing for Employees
GUST supports the well-being and financial stability of its employees, particularly international hires, by providing a comprehensive housing assistance system. All faculty members and employees above a designated grade level are offered rental accommodation as part of their employment package, ensuring they have access to safe, comfortable, and affordable living arrangements upon joining the university. In addition to this, incoming faculty receive housing allowances that help them secure suitable accommodation in Kuwait, easing their transition into the country and ensuring a smooth start to their academic roles.
Beyond housing, GUST also provides communication and transportation allowances, further reducing financial pressures related to relocation and daily living. These combined supports directly align with SDG 11.4.4, as they promote access to affordable housing and contribute to a stable, supportive, and inclusive work environment for employees from diverse backgrounds.
Pedestrian Priority on Campus
GUST actively prioritizes pedestrian safety and walkability across its campus through thoughtful infrastructure planning and controlled traffic flow. Clearly marked crosswalks span all parking areas and internal campus roads, ensuring that students, staff, and visitors can move safely between buildings. Several internal roads are intentionally blocked off with barriers to prevent vehicle entry, creating dedicated pedestrian-only zones that reduce congestion and improve overall campus safety. The campus also features wide, accessible pathways designed to accommodate comfortable movement for everyone, including individuals with mobility needs. Importantly, pedestrians are always given right-of-way across campus, reinforcing a culture of safety and respect in shared spaces. These measures collectively demonstrate GUST’s commitment to SDG 11.4.6, fostering a safe, walkable, and pedestrian-friendly learning environment.
GUST Students Present Housing Solution
Kuwait City, 4 March 2021: Students from GUSTs Real Estate Investment course were presented with an award by former Minister of State for Housing Affairs, Dr. Abdullah Marafie, for their project proposing a solution to the housing issue in Kuwait. They are Zainab Baydoun, Al Hatoon Al-Jneai, Deema Alissa, Ranofa Al-Abdulmughni, Rayan Sameer Saeed, Kawther Oudeh, and Loloh Al-Aladsani.
The students worked together to create a project after realizing the potential use of certain parts of Kuwait City. They proposed the use of 400,000 square meters adjacent to Al-Shaheed Park, and across from The Public Institution for Social Security on Al-Soor Street. This will develop an inner-city with residential towers and potentially allow for 4000 new housing applications which will contributing to solving the housing issue in the country.
Real Estate Investment student, Ms. Zainab Baydoun, said “that most of the material we learned in class was applicable to the real world thus creating a practical experience for us as students. We also learned more as a team on how to create, develop, and execute solutions.”
Professor of the Real Estate Investment course, Dr. Abdallah Al-Falah, said, “the housing issue is of the most significant importance for families in Kuwait, challenging Kuwaiti citizens' lifestyle. This project proposes a realistic solution of integrating the capital with residential apartment buildings that meet all the requirements. I am proud to have taught this course, the only of its kind in Kuwait, at GUST. I am also proud of my students for taking an interest in helping their country but, more importantly, in facing the challenge and believing in themselves to make a change. This is evidence that we have to support the youth because they are the key for our future.”
During the 2020 Pandemic, GUST opened its facilities in support of the Ministry of Health, to allow for 290 individuals to finish their 14-day quarantine. In 2015, the PR Club compiled 56 tons of donated clothes for the Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan. The housing project represents a long standing tradition of the GUST community taking on real life problems and creating initiatives as well as solutions.
GUST hosts the founding general meeting of the Kuwait Green Building Council and the launch of “Mustadam” Initiative
GUST hosted and supported the launch of the Kuwait Green Building Council (KGBC). The KGBC is a national, non-profit organization that is committed to developing a sustainable property sector for Kuwait by encouraging the adoption of green building practices.
The launch started with a reception and an opening speech by founding members: Dr. Sulaiman T. Al-Abduljader, Founding Chairman and Assistant Professor of Real Estate and Finance at GUST, Abdullah Al-Mutairi, Founding Vice Chairman, Eng. Mohammad Al-Dowaisan, Founding Secretary, Eng. Hamad Al-Qattan, Founding Treasurer, Nora Zehery, Founding Board Member and Eng. Abdullah Fahhad, Founding Board Member.
Dr. Sulaiman Tareq Al-Abduljader, said in his opening remark, “We are honored today to launch the Kuwait Green Building Council (KGBC) after 15 months of committed team work with the founding members.” The KGBC aims topromote sustainable buildings by illustrating the positive effects on climate protection, resource consumption, health, quality and efficiency, the economy, and the labor market. The green building market currently has exceeded $600 billion in value and is expected to grow at double digit rates due to its economic feasibility in addition to its contribution to substantially reducing energy consumption. It is, therefore, the KGBC’s mission to encourage and engage both public and private sectors to adopt sustainable measures in the development sector in Kuwait.
Further, Mr. Abdullah Al-Mutairi said “KGBC is also committed to become the independent median to link green related technologies to the market. Al-Mutairi talked about the KGBC pre-establishment and the procedures and research that had to be perfected for the launch. While Mr. Hamad Al-Qattan, touched on that scientific/technical findings, reports about practice, and the projects implemented and certified shall be published to reach a broader audience.
Ms. Nora Zehery clarified the KGBC vision, to drive the transition of the Kuwait property sector towards sustainability by promoting green programs, technologies, design practice and operations as well as the integration of green building initiatives into mainstream design, construction and the operation of buildings.
The Founding Members also discussed the “Mustadam” Initiative which entails a country wide campaign involving government authorities, private sectors, academia, media and individuals collectively endorsing the green-related projects and initiatives in Kuwait. The campaign shall incorporate the social, economic and cultural benefits and effects of supporting green buildings on our lives and society in general. It is expected that a large media campaign shall accompany the initiative to underline the individuals and reputable institutions endorsing the initiative.
The founding board members also thanked the corporate founders for supporting the development of the council in its early stage. The corporate founding members are GUST, National Technology Enterprises Company, Al-Argan International Real Estate Company SignDesign, and Remas Group.
