RIYADH: Impressed with that new app on your iPhone? Soon, the chances are it will have been designed and created in Saudi Arabia.
Tech giant Apple has chosen Riyadh as the home for its latest Developer Academy, where young entrepreneurs produce innovative software for the iOS operating system that powers its phones and tablets.
The new academy, Apple’s first in the Middle East, will be a partnership with the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security, Programming and Drones, represented by Tuwaiq Academy, and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, the world’s largest women’s university.
Federation chairman Faisal Al-Khamisi said the new academy would provide tools and training for aspiring female entrepreneurs, developers and designers to establish start-up companies and find jobs in the field of iOS applications. The focus tracks would include programming, business applications, marketing, design, and professional skills, he said.
“In our partnership with Apple, we will work together and strive to create an economic ecosystem for business to instill skills that enhance innovation and technology, and ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for our local community and the societies of the world that will undoubtedly benefit.”
The Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Abdullah Al-Sawaha, said the new academy was “an investment in the digital minds and skills of our girls … building the innovative future of the nation and the transformation toward an economy based on innovation and digital transformation.”
Apple opened its first iOS Developer Academy in October 2016, at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy. It now has campuses in the US, Brazil, South Korea, and Indonesia. Academy entrepreneurs have created more than 1,500 apps for iOS, and established more than 160 startup companies.
Tech giant Apple chooses Riyadh university to host its first iOS Developer Academy in the Middle East
https://arab.news/nt77e
Tech giant Apple chooses Riyadh university to host its first iOS Developer Academy in the Middle East
- The new academy would provide tools and training for aspiring female entrepreneurs, developers and designers
Saudi authority sets new standards for beach operators on the Red Sea
JEDDAH: The Saudi Red Sea Authority has announced a new regulatory framework for beach operations, redefining beaches as managed operating sites rather than informal recreational spaces, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The framework introduces standardized requirements for beach operators, focusing on licensing, safety, risk management and service quality across coastal tourism activities.
Under the regulations, beach operations will be permitted only through licensed entities, with license issued for two-year periods.
Renewal applications must be submitted at least 30 days before expiration. The authority said the system is intended to bring consistency to beach management and provide operators with clearer operational timelines.
The framework applies along more than 1,800 km of Red Sea coastline and establishes a unified national approach to regulating beach activities. The authority said no beach operation will be allowed without an official license.
The initiative supports the authority’s broader objectives to develop a coastal tourism sector that contributes SR85 billion ($22.66 billion) to GDP by 2030, creates approximately 210,000 jobs, and attracts 19 million visitors, the SPA noted.
To ensure a smooth transition, the regulations will come into effect one month after their announcement, while existing operators will be granted a one-year grace period to comply.
Safety forms a central pillar of the new framework. Licensing conditions include environmental permits, insurance coverage, approved safety plans, defined activity zones, and assessments of beach capacity.
Operators will also be required to provide licensed lifeguards, safety equipment, and systems for incident reporting and analysis.
The requirements extend to infrastructure and operation standards, including compliance with the Saudi Building Code to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities and structural safety.
Operators are also encouraged to align with international benchmarks such as Blue Flag standards and the ISO 13009:2024 for beach management, the SPA added.
The authority said this framework is designed to reduce operational risks, improve oversight and support the sustainable development of coastal tourism.
Unified requirements reduce operational risks, minimize inconsistencies, and improve the sector’s ability to attract financing and scale sustainably.
