Founder and Patron hopes Oxford Saïd’s new Global Leadership Centre will “bring light to leadership”
The Founder and Patron of the Saïd Foundation, Mr Wafic Saïd, this month officially opened the amazing new Executive Education facility at the Saïd Business School (SBS), University of Oxford, alongside the University’s Chancellor Lord Hague, Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey, and Interim Dean of the School Professor Mette Morsing.
The Global Leadership Centre (GLC) was created from the near-derelict Osney Power Station, which was built in 1892 and first brought electric light to Oxford, and has been totally remodelled by leading architects John McAslan + Partners into a monumental, award-winning centre for global leadership education.
The redevelopment of the site was enabled by a £15m gift committed to the school by Mr Wafic Saïd, then the Chairman of the Saïd Foundation, in 2017.
To mark the historic moment of the centre’s opening, Mr Saïd – together with Mr Khaled Saïd and Dr Rasha Saïd, Chair and Deputy Chair of the Saïd Foundation respectively – switched on a specially commissioned lantern, symbolising the building’s history and its future role in leadership education. Speaking to guests at the ceremony, held on 7 October 2026, he said:
“It is a stunning building. It brought light to Oxford, and I hope it will bring light to leadership.”
In her remarks at the opening, Vice Chancellor Irene Tracey drew attention to the fact that the GLC’s opening comes in the same year that SBS celebrates its 30th anniversary:
“It is remarkable what has been achieved… SBS has gone from strength to strength…Alumni of this School lead in every field.”
The GLC provides a dedicated environment for teaching, learning, research and academic exchange, bringing together students, learners, faculty and visiting academics in activities central to Saïd Business School’s purpose. It serves as a centre for executive education and leadership development, designed for collaboration and engagement.
Mr Wafic Saïd told guests at the opening ceremony that he hoped the GLC “will become a place where leaders of the world meet.”
