Apple to open first all-female developer academy in Riyadh

The academy, which will open later this year, is expected to help more than 600 women per year

The Apple logo is illuminated in the entrance to the Fifth Avenue Apple store in New York. The company aims to train Saudi women to find and create jobs in the thriving iOS app economy. AP

Apple plans to open its Apple Developer Academy – its first in the Middle East and North Africa region – in Riyadh and will focus on training female students.

The Cupertino-based company will collaborate with Riyadh-based Princess Nourah University and Tuwaiq Academy to create the first academy specifically focused on female participants and designed to create new job opportunities for them in the region, the iPhone maker said in a statement.

“At Apple, we believe technology can be a powerful force for good, opening new doors to opportunities to learn, create and be part of the thriving app economy.”

The academy is designed to inspire and empower a “new and more diverse group of entrepreneurs and app developers”, supporting them with the skills and resources to pursue careers in technology industry, Apple said.

“We are proud to open the first Apple Developer Academy for female students and can’t wait to see how these women collaborate, innovate and change the world,” the company said.

Apple's developer academies across the world equip students with skills needed to programme and create apps for iOS, macOS and other Apple platforms. Students will also have the opportunity to have their apps featured on the App Store.

The academy in Saudi Arabia, which will open later this year, expects to help more than 600 women annually learn programming skills. The participants will learn the fundamentals of coding and core professional competencies, design and marketing, ensuring graduates have the full suite of skills needed to contribute to the local business communities, Tuwaiq Academy said on its website.

It will offer both a 30-day foundations introductory course and a 10-month programme.

Apple Developer Academy will be located inside Princess Nourah University campus – the largest women’s university in the world, according to Apple. Applications are open to all women aged 18 and above in Saudi Arabia and will be offered free of cost.

“A full scholarship will be awarded for those who qualify for the programme ... all needed technology is provided,” the company said.

“Preparing aspiring entrepreneurs, developers and designers, with the skills, resources and training to find and create jobs in the thriving iOS app economy,” it added.

“The curriculum also incorporates Apple’s values throughout the coursework, encouraging students to design inclusively and make a positive impact in the world.”

Apple, which has more than a dozen developer academies across the world, will also open a new academy in the US this year as part of the company’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative focused on creating new opportunities for Black Americans.