Noura Abdulaziz Alsarami has been working on DGDA since June 2018 as the first lady working on the Design and Development team. She started as a master planning officer and senior officer in less than a year. She then was appointed as a Retail Licensing Specialist in the Urban planning and municipal affairs August 2020.
In her capacity, she has contributed to developing license department strategy, developing guidelines and standards of retail, off-plan sales and professional license, and contributing to enhancing the procedure of the licensing department. Noura is working on Albujairi fit-out permitting and licensing and preparing for all upcoming retail projects on DGDA.
Before that, her key responsibilities in the role included representing the DGDA urban planning team in Diriyah municipality design studio with the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, as a member of the land subdivision team for Wadi Hanifah form-based code, managing requests and transactions for land subdivision as a survey and spatial data specialist, contributing to developing DGDA GIS roadmap strategy, and conducting a studies for Diriyah current assets.
Upon the establishment of DGDA she had a key role as a design and master planning senior officer with responsibilities. Some these responsibilities included developing the interior design concept of the hotels and resorts, she worked on DGDA office interior design concept, coordinating and developing the interior design of the G20 building, developing the interior design for the DGDA launch event, coordinating and developing the interior design of King Salman’s majlis and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s majlis during the DGDA launch event, and coordinating the interior design of residential villas and apartments in Diriyah.
One of her biggest achievements was her key support in leading a global master plan competition, managing and coordinating the Najdi architectural language, developing DGDA office interior design and support in Formula E event in At-Turaif.
Alsarami took a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the College of Architecture and Graphic Design, Dar Al-Uloom University, Riyadh, in 2018.
She did training in effective multitasking by the Leoron Institute in 2021, and attended workshops including on leading and managing change by PWC in 2019, and on introduction to the traditional principles of Islamic architectural art and design with Al-Muallem Mohammed bin Laden Center for Knowledge and Education and the Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, London, in 2017.
Diriyah, Jewel of the Kingdom: Noura Abdulaziz Alsarami — a rising star at DGDA
https://arab.news/57kqc
Diriyah, Jewel of the Kingdom: Noura Abdulaziz Alsarami — a rising star at DGDA
Saudia Group graduates 1,200 aviation trainees at landmark ceremony
- ‘This opportunity felt like a dream,’ culinary arts student says
- ‘Human capital remains our most important investment,’ transport minister says
JEDDAH: Saudia Group held its first unified graduation ceremony for trainees of its aviation programs on Saturday, marking one of the largest such events ever held in the Kingdom’s aviation sector.
The ceremony, in Jeddah, brought together more than 1,200 students who had completed specialized training programs and will now join the company’s workforce.
Mohammed Midher, a 32-year-old captain and graduate of the six-month aerospace engineering program, told Arab News: “Every difficulty becomes easy with hard work and dedication.
“I am very happy to graduate and grateful for this valuable opportunity provided by the Saudia Group.
“It was a chance to prove our skills and capabilities and we will be starting our jobs soon. I am very excited to lead the aircraft to destinations around the world.”
Nesreen Jomaa, a graduate of the Culinary Arts Academy’s one-year ZDAK program, said the training enhanced her professional growth.
“I already had experience in culinary arts and had worked in several hotels in Jeddah, so I came in with strong knowledge.
“This opportunity felt like a dream because it guarantees employment upon completion. It added so much to my professional growth and I also gained many wonderful friends within this field.”
Ashwaq Khaja, who completed the same program, said: “I am proud to be Saudi and proud of everything the group has provided for us.
“I have a bachelor’s degree in science management and I am a visual artist. Today, I aspire to combine visual art with culinary art. I am truly grateful for this opportunity.”
All of the training programs were delivered by Saudia Group and its subsidiaries, Saudia, Saudia Academy, Saudia Technic, Saudi Ground Services, SAL Saudi Logistics Services, flyadeal and Catrion.
The graduates will now take up operational roles in flight operations, ground services, engineering, logistics and customer-facing functions.
The students’ families were present at the graduation event and there was also a performance by a Saudi choral group.
The ceremony also celebrated the first Saudi female graduates in airport aircraft maintenance, with 25 women completing the training program.
Women were also represented in inflight services and onboard chef programs, reflecting their broader inclusion across all disciplines.
“The percentage of women in aviation is increasing year after year,” said Khaled Tash, chief marketing officer of Saudia Group.
“There is no program today from which women are excluded. Every program is open and women are fully enabled and encouraged to join.
“Over the years, we have celebrated ordering new aircraft, building new airports, expanding logistics and investing in infrastructure. But there is nothing we can be more proud of than ensuring we have the right people to lead these growth projects.”
The event was held under the patronage of Saleh Al-Jasser, minister of transport and logistics services, and attended by Ibrahim Al-Omar, director general of Saudia Group, alongside senior officials and aviation sector representatives.
“Developing national talent is fundamental to achieving the ambitions of the National Aviation Strategy,” Al-Jasser said.
“Graduating more than 1,000 aviation professionals in a single year reflects the scale and pace of transformation underway across the Kingdom’s transport and logistics sector.
“Human capital remains our most important investment as we build a globally competitive aviation ecosystem.”
Al-Omar highlighted the company’s progress in localizing roles.
“Saudia Group has made significant progress in localizing critical aviation roles, surpassing targeted performance indicators by margins ranging from 43 percent to 230 percent,” he said.
“We have also embedded knowledge transfer requirements into our agreements with global manufacturers to ensure the development of Saudi capabilities within the Kingdom.
“The next phase of our transformation, particularly as we elevate the guest experience and strengthen global competitiveness, depends on continued investment in specialized national talent.”
The event highlighted the diversity of career paths within the aviation sector, bringing together graduates from operations, maintenance, engineering, cabin services and ground services within an integrated training ecosystem addressing the sector’s full range of needs.
The group has also increased local content levels across its activities from 19 percent in 2019 to 29 percent in 2023, reinforcing its contribution to domestic economic development.
