Women entrepreneurs have just got a big boost with the setting up of a business and technology park exclusively for them.
The park project was opened by Saudi Aramco, Princess Nourah University (PNU) and Wipro Arabia, a subsidiary of India’s Wipro, a leading information technology, consulting and business process services company.
The Women’s Business Park (WBP) is a result of a joint venture between Princess Nourah University (PNU), the largest women’s university in the world, and Wipro Arabia. Saudi Aramco is the strategic advisor and anchor of this initiative.
The project is expected to create nearly 21,000 jobs for Saudi women over a period of 10 years. It will be developed on the iconic PNU premises in Riyadh and include entrepreneur incubators, daycare centres and a one-stop coordination center for government transactions. It aims to provide knowledge-based employment for women.
The joint venture agreement was signed at a ceremony held at PNU and attended by Education Minister Dr Ahmad Al Issa, PNU rector Dr Huda Al Ameel, Saudi Aramco president and chief executive officer Amin H Nasser and Wipro chairman Azim Premji.
The Women’s Business Park is envisioned to be the largest engineering drafting services, business process services and information technology hub in the region for a number of industry sectors including oil and gas, manufacturing, government, healthcare, telecom and construction.
Dr Al Ameel said: “The goal of the Women’s Business Park is to create 21,000 jobs by 2025 and give women a critical role to play in a way that serves the objectives of the nation and to build a knowledge economy with societal and international partnerships. We also aim to provide a start-up eco-system to upcoming entrepreneurial ventures.
“In a country where women represent about 60 per cent of all university graduates, but less than 15 per cent of the country’s workforce, the Women’s Business Park is poised to be a milestone initiative,” Dr Al Ameel said.
Nasser said: “As a strategic consultant to the Women’s Business Park, we are happy to lend our expertise in the creation of world-class facilities to empower Saudi women. This initiative is the result of a successful consortium among three respected entities and we appreciate the efforts involved in creating this one of a kind facility in the kingdom.”
In his comments, Premji said: “Wipro has always extended support to the cause of women empowerment and it is our endeavour to foster an environment that encourages and enables more women to participate in business and tap their leadership potential.”
