Huawei Apps UP 2021: Three women trailblazing regional app development

A Huawei logo is displayed at a retail store in Beijing on May 23, 2019. (AFP)
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Updated 05 September 2021
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Huawei Apps UP 2021: Three women trailblazing regional app development

From e-commerce to healthcare and social impact, women leaders play a unique role and make key contributions, transforming industries by pursuing bold ideas that solve day-to-day problems. Huawei aims to encourage and support women as they create innovative technological applications and tools that enable social impact.
Huawei HMS App Innovation Contest (Apps UP) features eight categories, including the Tech Women’s Award, created to showcase the impactful work done by female app developers. Sept. 5 is the last date for entries to Apps UP 2021.
In the MENA region, a growing number of women are leading the creation of apps for the Huawei ecosystem, such as Amal Al-Saadi, a mobile architect consultant with OrangeJo and the co-founder and chief technology officer of VineTech — a mobile apps development house. Al-Saadi is also closely involved in the development of Aman, the community-built and privacy-oriented COVID-19 contact-tracing app used in Jordan.
Al-Saadi said that the regional app development industry is mostly populated by males, but believes that the tide is turning. “I believe that in time, we will see many more focused and passionate ladies emerging in the industry,” she said.
Huawei has supported the Aman app with considerable development assistance and a prominent listing in Huawei AppGallery, the default app marketplace on Huawei smart devices.

Huawei’s support has given us the opportunity to turn our app into a business.

Jacqueline Rogers, Founder of the My Pregnancy Journey app

Another regional female developer making waves on the Huawei platform is Nour Shammout, development team lead at Baaz, a new social platform based in Jordan. Shammout believes that gender diversity is essential for the software development industry in MENA to develop.
Jacqueline Rogers is the founder of the My Pregnancy Journey app. The app was one of three winners in the Social Impact category of the Apps UP 2020 competition and was developed by African women for African women. It aims to help address the lack of locally relevantcontent and assistance for expecting mothers during a very special time of their lives.
“Huawei’s support has given us the opportunity to turn our app into a business,” said Rogers. “I would definitely urge all aspiring tech entrepreneurs, especially women, to enter this competition for the wealth of direct and indirect rewards on offer. Winning the competition has jumpstarted the growth of our app!”


Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Endowment projects worth SR8bn launched in Makkah

Updated 19 February 2026
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Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Endowment projects worth SR8bn launched in Makkah

Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Real Estate Company has announced the launch of several real estate projects belonging to the Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Endowment system in Makkah, with a total investment exceeding SR8 billion ($2.1 billion). These projects include commercial, residential, and hospitality developments, as well as strategic land plots, as part of the company’s commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s real estate sector and enhancing the quality of life in the holy city.

The announcement was made during a field tour by a delegation of high-level officials including Saleh Al-Rasheed, CEO of the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites; Ihsan Bafakih, chairman of the board of directors of Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi Holding Company; Haitham Al-Fayez, chairman of Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Real Estate Company and CEO of Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Holding Company; Moath Al-Mukhudub, managing director and CEO of Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Real Estate Company; and Anas Mansour Abadi, CEO of real estate at Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Holding Company and representative of the Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Endowment, alongside members of the board of directors of both the holding and real estate companies and the executive team.

The tour included the launch of the Tilal Towers project, with an investment value of SR2 billion, featuring more than 2,500 hotel rooms, strengthening the hospitality sector in Makkah.

The delegation also visited the Tilal Village project, valued at SR2.8 billion. It is one of the prominent qualitative projects within the hospitality ecosystem in Makkah.

Furthermore, the visit covered the residential buildings within Tilal Village, comprising 828 units, with an investment of SR800 million. The delegation inspected the specialized hospital, medical complex housing, and the office and commercial plazas.

During the tour, a contract was signed for the Al-Rajhi Center project, valued at SR250 million, as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan.

The inspection also included the Al-Ukayshiyyah land, spanning 4 million square meters, and the Al-Ghazzawi project land, valued at SR250 million.

The tour concluded with prayers at the Aisha Al-Rajhi Mosque, the second-largest mosque in Makkah after the Grand Mosque, with a capacity for 50,000 worshippers.

This visit underscores the importance of these investments, which represent a clear direction toward enhancing the management of the endowment’s assets through diversification, redevelopment, and strategic expansion, in line with the development goals of the Makkah city and Saudi Vision 2030.

Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Real Estate, a subsidiary of Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi Holding Company, continues to provide innovative solutions to elevate the real estate sector to international standards.