Marillyn A. Hewson
In 2013, a young Saudi engineer named AlAnoud Musaad AlTurki participated in a Lockheed Martin high-tech training program in Orlando, Florida. She was inspired to participate by the unique opportunity to follow her dreams, to better her life, and to develop new technologies to make her nation and the world a safer and better place
She said of this innovative internship: “This experience taught me something new every minute, whether it be about software or American culture. Everyone should experience something like this. It changes you in ways you can’t imagine.”
The program didn’t just change Ms. AlTurki — it empowered her to change the world around her. Working with a team of Lockheed Martin programmers, Ms. AlTurki helped develop an Arabic “Sentiment Modeling” algorithm — a tool that enables users to analyze big data and turn the flood of information on the web and social media into actionable insights.
For example, here in Saudi Arabia the tool is being employed to quickly gather and understand citizen opinions on key policy changes.
Today, Ms. AlTurki is the first female Premier Field Engineer at Microsoft Saudi Arabia.
She is passionate about using technology to improve lives here and around the world — and she now has the experience and tools to make a difference.
Stories like this are becoming more common in Saudi Arabia.
Since Lockheed Martin first partnered with the Kingdom in 1965, we’ve been privileged to be part of a significant transformation occurring in Saudi Arabia.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has made big investments in critical areas such as education, health, and infrastructure. Vibrant cities and exciting development projects are reshaping the Saudi landscape. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been created — with more on the way.
This is especially exciting time for the Saudi economy — and the Saudi people. It is a chance to unleash the full power of the Kingdom’s innovative potential.
Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum, however. It needs a supportive environment to develop and prosper. It requires a culture of innovation is built on three key elements: Inspiration, Education, and Collaboration.
One of the most important drivers of innovation is inspiration — the ability to envision a better world and the drive to help create it. This inspiration is what drove AlAnoud Musaad AlTurki to fly halfway around the world so she could improve her skills and solve great challenges.
Today, Saudi Arabia is well positioned to lead the world on a host of key issues that will shape a better future for us all — from finding new ways to grow food in the desert, to managing precious water resources, to driving the energy technologies that the 21st century demands.
It is crucial to build a culture that inspires young Saudis to tackle challenges like this. When people are inspired by their work they bring their best to the job.
The second critical component for innovation is education. This is an area where the Saudi government and civil society have been deeply committed — and the results are impressive.
Lockheed Martin is very proud of the Space Fundamentals internship program that we started with the Arab Youth Venture Foundation.
The program brings young people from the Middle East to intern with Lockheed Martin’s Space Systems Company in Colorado. They get to meet and work with our engineers, and they get to learn firsthand about our civil space programs and operations.
One Saudi student, Abdulaziz Saad Al Saeed, who participated in the program last year, said that before coming to Lockheed Martin he had never really considered a career in the aerospace sector — not because he lacked interest, rather because he lacked exposure and knowledge.
Today, as a result of his experience he hopes to work toward his graduate degree and pursue a career in the space industry.
His example only reinforces the point that the more the private sector, government and academia can work together to educate young people like Al Saeed and show them their potential, the more they will fuel the Kingdom’s future success.
The third key to creating a culture of innovation is collaboration. Lockheed Martin is proud to have operations in Riyadh to facilitate the kind of collaboration that accelerates job growth, technology sharing, and industrial partnership in Saudi Arabia.
For example, last April, Arabsat and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology awarded contracts to Lockheed Martin for two A2100 communications satellites. These new satellites will provide state-of-the-art telecommunications capabilities, including television, Internet, telephone and secure communications to customers across the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
The satellite project we’re developing with Arabsat will not only be one of the most powerful ever built, it will also be one of the most agile. A satellite we launch from Saudi Arabia today can take advantage of tomorrow’s breakthroughs, with innovation here on Earth being beamed up to the satellite in orbit.
This is the kind of collaboration we strive for in everything we do.
We know that young people are the future of our world — and they deserve a future that is worthy of their dreams. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is increasingly committed to do what it takes to propel the Kingdom forward and continue to create a prosperous future for their citizens. At Lockheed Martin, we are excited to be part of that journey.
— The writer is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation
