Fortune - USA (2019-12)

CHANGE AGENTS

Content by the Buzz Business

THE NEW WAVE OF SAUDI FASHION

Q&A with Aljohara Abdulaziz Almodaimigh,
President and Co-Founder at SITA

If the clothes a nation wears are

the most visible expression of its

culture and values, then even a

casual visitor to Saudi Arabia will see

that this is a society in the throes

of a far-reaching transformation.

Everywhere in the malls, rest aurants,

coff eehouses, and offi ces of

capital city Riyadh, animated young

women in st ylish, colorful abayas

chat with their friends, play with

their smartphones, and shop for

the latest trends in cosmetics and

clothing. Just like their counterparts

around the world, they are eager

consumers of social media and

st reaming services, and are devotees

of beauty, fashion, and fi tness.

The government has made it a priority

to modernize Saudi leisure and

entertainment, empower women and

youth, and encourage healthy and

balanced lifest yles. One of the aims of

Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s ambitious

st rategy for modernization, is to

increase the ratio of people exercising

at least once a week from 13% of the

population to 40%. Meanwhile, the

country has held its fi rst -ever Fashion

Week, and st ate organizations are

helping young designers break into the

fast -emerging Saudi fashion scene.

Few people underst and the demands

of this dynamic new market as well as

Aljohara Abdulaziz Almodaimigh. In 2013,

the U.K.-educated entrepreneur opened

a chain of women-only gyms. Earlier this

SITA uses a fabric infused with innovative technology that

neutralizes odor, withst ands machine wash and exhibits

superior quality

Entrepreneur

Aljohara Abdulaziz

Almodaimigh is on

the frontline of the

social transformation

of Saudi Arabia.

Not content with running

the country’s leading

chain of women-only

fi tness st udios, this year

she co-founded fashion

brand SITA. Her st ylish,

versatile, and innovative

designs are now taking

Saudi Arabia by st orm.