Tuwaiq spotlights MENA’s first Apple Developer Academy at LEAP

At LEAP 2026 in Riyadh, Tuwaiq Academy used its pavilion to showcase the Apple Developer Academy, the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa. This was not a new launch: the academy opened in 2021 through a partnership involving Apple, Tuwaiq and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, and its fifth cohort graduated in July. Its nine-month program helps women build the mix of app-development, design and practical business skills needed to turn ideas into iPhone and iPad products. The showcase matters because the academy is a visible example of Saudi Arabia’s effort to build local creators and founders around major technology platforms, not just import their products.