Apple Developer Academy Riyadh celebrated the graduation of its first class of students. The academy was launched last year in partnership with Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, Tuwaiq Academy, and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University. The all-women program prepares participants for careers in the growing iOS app economy.
“At Apple, we believe anyone with a great idea should have the opportunity to build an app and share it with people around the globe,” said Esther Hare, Apple’s senior director of Worldwide Developer Marketing. “The women graduating today from the Apple Developer Academy — creators, designers, coders and entrepreneurs — have bright futures ahead.”
The Academy helps female developers and entrepreneurs build a foundation for a career in the app economy. Over the course of nine months, more than 100 students learned coding, design, marketing, and professional skills.
“Our mission this year was to fully support our learners’ education ambitions, wherever they are and at whatever level, regardless of age, technical knowledge, or background,” said Ohood Al Nayel, Director of the Riyadh Apple Developer Academy. “We were very mindful from the beginning in equipping each and every Apple Developer Academy learner today with relevant real-world knowledge and skills, to ensure the region’s app development environment of tomorrow is an exceptional one.”
The Academy opened its doors for in-person learning in February and is located inside Princess Nourah University Campus — the largest women’s university in the world — giving the students access to world-class facilities, including dormitories, sporting facilities, and easy connections to Riyadh.
As part of the Apple Developer Academy programming, students participated in a job fair ahead of graduation to get connected with companies for career and funding opportunities.
The Academy offers both a 30-day Foundations introductory course along with the nine-month intensive Academy program that dives deeper into coding and professional skills. Courses teach coding, tech, design, and professional skills such as problem solving and cross-discipline communication.
