Effat University recently hosted a three-week Mawhiba 2017 enrichment and creativity program, which targets female students in order to develop their skills and abilities.
The King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) program continued until Aug. 17 with the goal of developing the cognitive, personal and social abilities of 64 students. The program “aimed at providing progressive levels of advanced knowledge, skills and scientific expertise that challenge the abilities of students and enabling them to continue building quality, cumulative experience that grows more intensive and diverse with time and effort.”
President of Effat University Haifa Reda Jamal Allail said Mawhiba targeted talented female students in order to identify their hidden potential and offer the support needed to develop and refine their skills.
Allail said: “The university’s support for the program comes within the framework of its contribution toward building a promising society characterized by talent and creativity. In addition, it also comes within the university’s efforts toward participating in developing young, talented and creative Saudi leaders and cadres with superior educational and training outcomes who are able to play their awaited developmental roles with capability and merit.”
The Mawhiba participants were divided into five enrichment units: Electrical Engineering, Engineering Design, Encryption, Chemistry in Society, and Advanced Physics. The daily program was divided into two sections, the first of which included various academic programs, while the second included an assortment of extracurricular activities aimed at providing participants with basic skills, such as entrepreneurship, accurate data analysis and decision-making skills, among others.
The students visited the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Water Desalination Company in Jeddah as part of the program’s main events. Additionally, a meet and greet between the students and officials from the Patent Office of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) was arranged, informing the students about the opportunities these institutions provide, the tasks carried out and the added value they offer to the community and the economy in general.
At the end of the program, the students presented 12 creative projects that were evaluated by a panel of judges from Effat University and Mawhiba. The students were given advice and guidance to help them develop their projects and support the creative goals they aspire to achieve.
Effat University hosts participants of Mawhiba program
Effat University hosts participants of Mawhiba program
ITC Infotech accelerates Vision 2030 through digital hub in Riyadh
ITC Infotech’s commitment to delivering real digital change in the Middle East is reinforced by strengthening collaboration and working more closely with customers on the ground. The establishment of its Digital and AI Engineering Hub in Riyadh brings superior digital engineering and AI skills closer to businesses, allowing for speedier collaboration, localized innovation, and solutions targeted to regional needs. This strategic expansion aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and underscores ITC Infotech’s long-standing emphasis on partnership-led growth and customer-centric innovation.
The hub was officially inaugurated on Jan. 15 by Sanjiv Puri, chairman and managing director of ITC Ltd. This facility is designed to help enterprises leverage advanced technologies and convert digital ambitions into measurable business outcomes. This move aligns closely with Saudi Arabia’s efforts to build a knowledge-driven economy powered by innovation and technology.
Saudi Arabia’s digital leap
Vision 2030 is more than just economic diversification; it is a clear blueprint for creating a technologically advanced society. This vision is centered on the integration of artificial intelligence and digital engineering, which are transforming industries and enabling long-term, sustainable growth. The strategic importance of AI is clear, with the Saudi Data and AI Authority estimating that it may add $135 billion to the Kingdom’s GDP by 2030. This commitment is supported by significant investments, including $14.9 billion announced at LEAP 2025 to advance digital infrastructure, talent, and next-generation technologies, as well as historic projects like the $2.7 billion Hexagon Data Center in Riyadh. Together, these efforts are laying the foundation for a secure, resilient, and future-ready digital ecosystem that can support AI adoption, data-driven governance, and smart city development at scale.
What the hub offers
ITC Infotech’s Riyadh hub is designed to fuel this momentum by focusing on three core areas:
- AI-powered platforms: Delivering predictive analytics, intelligent automation, and data-driven insights to help businesses transition from reactive operations to proactive strategies.
- Digital engineering solutions: Leveraging Industry 4.0-driven smart manufacturing capabilities, integrating AI-led modeling, connected systems, and advanced analytics to optimize production performance, improve asset utilization, and proactively reduce operational and quality risks across the engineering lifecycle.
- Cloud-native architectures: Building agile, secure, and resilient ecosystems that enable faster innovation and seamless integration across enterprise systems.
These capabilities are designed to enable organizations to innovate, scale, and compete in a rapidly evolving digital economy. Beyond technology, the hub is fundamentally anchored in building a team of the region, from the region, for the region and for global impact. Through structured skill-building programs, deep partnerships with academia, systematic knowledge transfer, and immersive, hands-on delivery models, the hub is creating a future-ready Saudi workforce fully aligned with Vision 2030 and capable of serving both national and international priorities.
Driving enterprise transformation
The ITC Infotech hub aims to enable transformation rather than simply deploy technology. By driving AI adoption, accelerating digital engineering, and building cloud-native ecosystems, ITC Infotech seeks to help businesses:
- develop new business models to meet evolving market needs.
- improve operational efficiency through predictive insights and automation.
- support sustainability goals by optimizing resources and reducing risks.
- build a skilled local workforce capable of leading future innovations.
These outcomes support enterprises as they transition to more resilient, data-driven, and digitally mature operating models.
The road ahead
ITC Infotech is a wholly owned subsidiary of ITC Limited, one of India’s largest conglomerates, with over 25 years of experience as a trusted technology services partner to enterprises globally. The company focuses on next-generation enterprise transformation, delivering services across infrastructure and application modernization, cloud, cybersecurity, digital engineering, and AI-led innovation.
As Saudi Arabia continues its digital journey, ITC Infotech’s combination of global expertise, strong local presence, and collaborative delivery model positions it as a long-term partner in advancing Vision 2030. ITC Infotech’s hub in Riyadh reflects this commitment, bringing advanced capabilities closer to customers, investing in local talent, and enabling enterprises to adopt AI at scale as they compete in an increasingly digital world.
