Lessons Learned from the Establishments of the First Hydrographic Surveying Program in the Middle East

The fast pace of technology development and voluntary adoption of international standards requires interdisciplinary and skill-based education. This chapter presents an approach for the development of an interdisciplinary, internationally recognized geomatics program, at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), using a multilevel approach that combined the international guidelines with the local stakeholders’ needs being in line with the global demand for professionals in this field. The methodology of this study consisted of interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs), students survey and operational analysis, and observation was used to analyze the program challenges and opportunities. Results obtained showed that the transferability of the approach adopted in this research, along with the commonality of lessons learned from the process, contributes to faster execution for similar programs in various parts of the world. The program was successful to secure to international recognition within 10 years of its inception. The quality of learning outcomes supported by the high employability of graduates was among the key socioeconomic impact of the program.