Nearly 200 Female Developers Graduate from Apple Developer Academy at Tuwaiq
Today, the city of Riyadh hosted the graduation ceremony for the fourth cohort — comprising 196 female students — from Tuwaiq Academy, in partnership with the Apple Developer Academy. The event was attended by Abdulaziz Alshamadi, CEO of Tuwaiq Academy, Ohood Al-Nayel, Director of the Apple Developer Academy, Sadia Atcha, Region Lead of Apple Content Services in Middle East, Türkiye and Africa; and Zeina Hatem, Regional Leader of Middle East & Africa at Apple, along with a distinguished group of leaders from the technology and education sectors.
The graduates completed a nine-month academic journey focused on specialized training in app development, design, and entrepreneurship, across various tracks designed to build leadership capabilities, creativity, and innovation. The program fostered a learning environment that empowered students to develop solutions across multiple sectors, serving various segments of society through self-directed learning and collaborative discussions.
During the ceremony, Mrs. Ohood Al-Nayel emphasized that the graduation reflects the strong support extended to the technology sector by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister of the Kingdom. She noted that the event stands as a testament to Saudi Arabia’s progress in global digital indicators. Mr. Abdulaziz Alshamadi congratulated the graduates and highlighted the significance of the collaboration between Tuwaiq Academy and Apple in cultivating a promising generation of business leaders, empowering them to actively contribute to the digital economy and keep pace with the rapid advancement of technology. In the same spirit, Mrs. Ohood Al-Nayel commended the graduates for the outstanding solutions they presented, praising their ability to transform ideas into promising applications and enhance their innovation and teamwork skills.
“As we celebrate the fourth graduating class of the Apple Developer Academy in Saudi Arabia, we continue to be inspired by the innovation and creativity these talented women bring to the world of technology,” said Susan Prescott, VP Worldwide Developer Relations, Enterprise and Education at Apple. "Apple is proud to support their journey as they lead the way in shaping entrepreneurship in their communities and beyond.”
Tuwaiq Academy launched the Apple Developer Academy in 2021 in partnership with Apple and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University. The region’s first all-women Apple Developer Academy offers world-class training for aspiring coders, designers, and entrepreneurs, preparing them for careers in the country’s vibrant app economy. Nearly 2,000 students have completed programming courses through the academy, and are now publishing their apps on the App Store® for both domestic and global audiences.
