Wipro, Saudi Aramco, Princess Nourah University launch Saudi Arabia's first all-women business park

Wipro, India's third-largest IT services exporter, along with Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and Princess Nourah University (PNU), opened Saudi Arabia's first all-women business and technology park (WBP) on Sunday. 

In a statement, the Bengaluru-based company said the WBP is expected to create nearly 21,000 jobs for Saudi women by 2025. The project was conceived in September 2014.

"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 & gas, manufacturing, government, healthcare, telecom and construction," the company statement said.

Azim Premji, chairman of Wipro, said that the development is part of the company's efforts at engaging with the country. 

"It has been more than a decade since Wipro began its operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and localization has always been an important aspect of our business strategy here," he said in the statement.

Amin H. Nasser, president and chief executive officer of Saudi Aramco, said that the initiative was aimed at empowering Saudi women.

The project will also help in bringing more Saudi women graduates to the workforce, according to PNU. "In a country where women represent about 60% of all university graduates, but less than 15% of the country's workforce, the Women's Business Park is poised to be a milestone initiative," Dr. Huda Al-Ameel, Rector of Princess Nourah University, said in the statement.

Last month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the all-women training centre of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Riyadh during his visit to the country.

The centre, opened in 2013, employs about 1,000 women working in BPO operations, 85 percent of whom are Saudi nationals, reported PTI.