98 Sadeem in Suadi Arabia

Team 26 Poster

Team Reflection

The story of Sadeem focuses on a groundbreaking social enterprise founded by Mustafa, a control systems engineer, and his team, inspired by the catastrophic 2009 Jeddah floods in Saudi Arabia. Witnessing the devastation, they recognized an urgent need for an effective disaster management system to protect urban areas from environmental risks. Sadeem’s mission is to create safer cities by developing technology-driven solutions that monitor and respond to crises like floods, wildfires, and landslides in real-time, reducing the impact of natural disasters on both infrastructure and communities.

At the heart of Sadeem’s innovation is a patented early warning system that uses a network of sensors and predictive models to track and control the effects of floods and other natural hazards. The system gathers real-time data, providing authorities with critical information to respond swiftly and strategically during emergencies. For instance, in the city of Medina, Sadeem’s technology has enabled municipal authorities to optimize drainage systems, allowing them to make data-informed, preemptive decisions during heavy rainfall. This has minimized water accumulation, prevented severe flooding, and ultimately protected vital infrastructure and lives.

Sadeem’s impact goes beyond immediate disaster response; the company is advancing sustainable urban planning and resilience across the Gulf and the Middle East. Currently, they operate in 16 cities across six countries, aiming to enhance urban resilience on a larger scale. Their work directly supports several UN Sustainable Development Goals, notably SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

In addition to promoting sustainability, Sadeem demonstrates how technology can play a vital role in making cities safer and more resilient. By integrating innovative, tech-driven approaches into urban planning, Sadeem is setting a benchmark for sustainable disaster risk management, showing how proactive, data-based solutions can help urban areas become better prepared for future environmental challenges.

A powerful fusion of creativity, sustainability, and social responsibility can be seen in the conversation with Mustafa, co-founder of Sadeem Company. Sadeem’s goal started when Mustafa was inspired to create a business that puts life and sustainability ahead of profit after witnessing the disastrous floods in Jeddah firsthand. This is in keeping with the “triple bottom line” theory, which evaluates a company’s social and environmental impact in addition to its financial performance. Academically, Sadeem’s work supports a number of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including fostering sustainable communities and building resilient infrastructure. Sadeem demonstrates how technology can address environmental issues by creating flood alert systems, which aligns with what we learn about corporate social responsibility (CSR). At first, we believed that financial success was the primary indicator of business success. However, Sadeem’s emphasis on neighborhood safety and the decrease in complaints caused us to reconsider accountability and impact. The way Sadeem defines success shocked us the most. Instead of focusing only on revenue development, they consider the system’s real impacts on cities, such as lowering water buildup or averting flood damage. This gave us a new definition of “success,” demonstrating that companies may prosper while addressing real social needs. The significance of flexibility and relationships is demonstrated by Mustafa’s perspective on long-term success, which places a strong emphasis on working with local stakeholders and adjusting to new risks like forest fires. According to Sadeem’s story, firms can have a greater influence if they prioritize sustainable impact over profits, which may encourage other enterprises to follow suit. It’s intriguing to think about how a model like Sadeem’s could spur future progress.

When we look back on the AIM2Flourish experience, we see how the knowledge we gained will impact our future behavior and outlook as future corporate executives. As a result of this experience, we feel inspired to apply sustainability principles to our future endeavors. Sadeem’s story demonstrates that innovation can have a significant impact when it is coupled with social responsibility. Sadeem showed us that revenue is not the only metric used to measure success; social and environmental impact must also be considered. This concept will inform our future decisions and be a force for good in society as it contributes to solving the environmental problems that all societies face. As Sadeem supports several goals, we want to work with organizations that uphold sustainability values. One of the most important lessons we learned from Sadeem is the value of continuing education in a rapidly evolving business world. We recognize the value of working with local and international groups. We want to contribute to initiatives that address social and environmental issues. We can see the clear connection between this experience and our behavior when we see ourselves in the world of innovation. We intend to promote sustainable behaviors in our workplaces, and in conclusion, Sadeem’s story reminds us that business can play a crucial role in creating shared value and contributing to the good of society and the environment. We are inspired by Sadeem’s commitment to sustainability and believe that individuals and members of diverse communities can integrate these values ​​into their working lives to help build more resilient and sustainable cities.

Individual Reflections

Jory Alzahrani 

These reflections are to explain what I faced in this task that consisted of six people from different cultures and universities. This project consists of an interview, a story, a poster, and a reflection. I personally did not face any problems in this project, as the team was cooperative, committed to weekly meetings, and respectful. There may have been a problem at the beginning of this project because its idea is new to us and it consists of people who are not from the department or my university, but the dear teacher made an effort to make it easy and enjoyable for all of us, and she really succeeded in that. It was easy and enjoyable too. We faced challenges in choosing the right time for everyone because times vary. Some people joined the meeting while they were in the car to go to university or something similar, and we also faced a challenge in choosing the right company in a short time and communicating with them via email and number so that we could set a date for the personal interview and get their approval and explain the project to them. But overall, it was an enjoyable task and the whole team was cooperative and I really enjoyed it with all of them.

Wiaam Altruresi

Working on the AIM2Flourish project with my team gave me the opportunity to see the real impact that companies like Sadeem can have on the environment and society. This experience taught me how important it is to be flexible and open to new ideas during our group discussions. To overcome communication difficulties, I found it helpful to apply the knowledge I had acquired in earlier academic courses, such as intercultural interaction and communication skills. Dealing with time zone differences was an adjustment for me, but by adapting, I found ways to make it work. As part of my role on the project, I helped arrange and conduct the interview with Sadeem, which allowed me to hear directly from people committed to making a difference in society and gain a deeper understanding of how Sadeem uses technology to improve the efficiency of its products and achieve sustainable goals. It was an opportunity to enhance my communication and interview skills by preparing questions, leading the conversation, and listening carefully. Ultimately, this experience gave me the confidence to manage multicultural teams in the future, enhanced my understanding of how companies contribute to sustainable development, and inspired my passion to actively participate in this effort.

Mikel Recalde

From my point of view, working in this assignment of AIM2FLOURISH is a very good opportunity for my future and everyone that participates in this. What I think is that this project help the students to meet people all around the world, know different cultures and countries and know how people with different cultures and traditions work. This is something very helpful for the students future, because probably a lot of students are going to work with people from all around the world, and this can be a preceding to be more prepared in the real world. With this project we have learned to meet with people from the other part of the world, adjusting different time schedules and personal issues. This, for the future, is something very relevant if, for example, you have to work with a large amount of people and have to coordinate schedules; or if you work for a big company and have to work with someone that is in another part of the world.

Also, this assignment has made us to know more about other countries and companies, and how they behave and cooperate somewhere we have not been ever. Like is our case, we have chosen a company from Saudi Arabia and we have had the opportunity to know about one company from that country and how they work there.

Concluding, I think this project is something that will be useful in our futures and also something that almost every student that has participated has enjoyed

Miguel Buxens

As a member of this AIM2Flourish project team, I found the experience of researching Sadeem’s story both challenging and rewarding. Working virtually with teammates from different cultural backgrounds was eye-opening; it highlighted the diversity of perspectives that each of us brought to the table. Initially, it was a bit difficult to manage communication due to different time zones and schedules. However, by using collaborative tools and regularly updating each other, we established a rhythm that worked for everyone. The process taught me a lot about the importance of clear communication and flexibility in a virtual setting.

I was particularly inspired by Sadeem’s commitment to disaster resilience and sustainable urban planning, which reminded me of how businesses can create positive social impact beyond profit. Hearing the story of how the founders responded to the Jeddah floods by developing innovative technology for disaster management made me think differently about the role of engineers and entrepreneurs in addressing societal issues. This project also reinforced some of the principles I’ve learned in my course, such as the triple bottom line and the critical role of sustainability in modern business practices.

This experience has influenced my outlook on my future career. I now see the importance of aligning business goals with social and environmental values. Working with my teammates on this reflective process has shown me how impactful storytelling can be in promoting change, and I hope to integrate these values into my work someday. Overall, AIM2Flourish has taught me that business can—and should—be a force for good, inspiring me to consider how I can make a difference through my professional choices.

Tommaso Spiluttini

Reflecting on our recent Aim2Flourish project, I realized how essential trust and effective time organization are, especially with team members spread across different time zones. There were moments when communication lagged, and it sometimes felt challenging to coordinate our efforts. Next time, I plan to establish clearer deadlines and check-in points to keep everyone

aligned. Building trust is equally important; I want to foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns openly. By prioritizing these elements, I believe I can enhance my group’s collaboration and produce even better results in future projects. Additionally, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of flexibility in adapting to others’ schedules and work habits. This project taught me that respecting individual working styles and constraints can make a big difference in maintaining team harmony. Clear communication is not just about staying on task but also about showing empathy for teammates’ unique situations, which, in turn, strengthens our collective motivation.

Chloe Neufeld

This project was like none I have ever been a part of, I am grateful for the opportunity to work with people from across the world, in my case Saudi Arabia, and Spain. Our team got along very well and there was no conflict whatsoever. The hardest part of the experience was finding times to meet that fit all of our schedules, there were many times not all members were able to attend the meetings. In terms of communication, our group chat was quite consistent with all group members putting in their input. We divided all of our tasks to have minimal times when we all had to be on a call or doing something simultaneously. Our task delegation proved to be very successful; everyone seemed happy with doing their task and could complete them all on time. AIM2Flourish has been a great learning experience, I gained connections, learned about how corporations invest in SDGs, and how to work in a team with no in person contact.

Reference:

Sadeem. (n.d.). Sadeem. https://www.sadeem.com/