Special Coverage | TechMama
Inside the Graduation of 192 Women Developers from the Apple Developer Academy in Partnership with Tuwaiq Academy
A journey that went far beyond coding, bringing together determination, passion, teamwork, and powerful stories from graduates with different academic backgrounds.
Riyadh — By Sarah Younis | TechMama
Amid an atmosphere filled with pride, excitement, and emotional moments, the Apple Developer Academy, in partnership with Tuwaiq Academy, celebrated the graduation of its fifth cohort, honoring 192 women graduates after completing an intensive nine-month program. The Academy is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa.
The graduation ceremony took place at The Garage in Riyadh, where the celebration blended inspiration with excitement. Tech content creator Faisal Alsaif added a unique energy to the event as the ceremony’s host, engaging both the graduates and the audience with his charismatic and spontaneous presentation style throughout the evening.
During the ceremony, graduates showcased innovative apps and technology projects they had built throughout the program. Their journey extended far beyond learning to code, focusing on design thinking, creativity, and collaboration within multidisciplinary teams.
However, what stood out most during my coverage wasn’t just the projects — it was the personal stories behind each graduate.
“I Was Rejected the First Time… Today I’m a Graduate”
One Computer Science graduate shared that this wasn’t her first attempt to join the Academy.
“I applied last year but wasn’t accepted. I came back, applied again, and today I’m standing here as a graduate.”
She explained that the Academy offered much more than learning Swift. It taught her how to work as part of a real team and how to approach problem-solving from a completely different perspective.
From Pharmacy to App Development
A Pharmacy graduate told me that her academic background never prevented her from pursuing a career in technology.
“The Academy gave me the confidence to start an entirely new career path. Every part of the experience was exceptional.”
She believes that her biggest takeaway wasn’t programming alone, but also communication, leadership, teamwork, and confidently presenting ideas in front of an audience.
“For me, having on-campus accommodation was one of the biggest advantages. It allowed us to focus completely on studying and building our projects without worrying about anything else.”
said one Academy student who had relocated from outside Riyadh.
Even High School Graduates Found Their Place
Among this year’s graduates was a recent high school graduate, who described the admission process as an experience unlike anything she had gone through before.
“Even the admission process itself was unique. From the very beginning, I felt they were looking for passion — not just grades.”
More Than Just Programming
Although the graduates came from diverse academic backgrounds, every person I interviewed agreed on one thing:
The Academy doesn’t simply teach women how to code.
It helps participants develop the professional skills that are essential in today’s technology industry, including:
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Research skills
- Public speaking
- Product development and cross-functional collaboration
During the ceremony, Apple and Tuwaiq Academy reaffirmed their commitment to developing highly skilled technology talent capable of competing both locally and globally, supporting Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s growing digital economy.
As the evening concluded with graduation certificates, celebration, and countless memorable photos, one thing became clear: for these graduates, this wasn’t the end of their journey — it was the beginning of a new chapter, one where they’ll help shape the next generation of technology, innovation, and startups across the region.
