The Prophet's Mosque
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi
Founded by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in 622 CE and home to the iconic Green Dome marking his resting place. One of the largest and most revered mosques in the world.
// Venue & travel
SusTAIN 2026 is hosted by Prince Mugrin University 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
All sites listed below are within a short drive of the conference venue. The optional social-programme tours visit several of them.
The Prophet's Mosque
Founded by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in 622 CE and home to the iconic Green Dome marking his resting place. One of the largest and most revered mosques in the world.
The first mosque in Islam
Built upon the Prophet's ﷺ arrival in Madinah in 622 CE, Quba is widely regarded as the first mosque in Islam. Visiting it carries deep religious tradition.
A landmark of Islamic history
Rising 1,077 m to the north of Madinah, Mount Uhud is the city's tallest peak and the site of the historic Battle of Uhud in 625 CE. A short drive from UPM.
Resting place of companions
The oldest Islamic cemetery, just beside Al-Masjid an-Nabawi — burial place of many of the Prophet's ﷺ family members, companions, and early scholars of Islam.
// 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
// Around the city
Photos via Wikimedia Commons under their respective Creative Commons licences.