Saudi Arabia is undergoing one of the largest expansions of higher education in its history. Over the next five years, there will be 12 million university enrolments – a 40% surge driven by national growth ambitions. Yet the picture isn’t balanced: Saudi undergraduates are 3.5 times more likely to choose Business or Humanities than STEM or health-related majors, leaving Vision 2030 priority sectors short of home-grown talent. At the same time, up to 46% of professionals report underutilisation of their skills, with the World Economic Forum identifying this mismatch as a key barrier to human capital development.

The challenge was clear: how can Saudi students discover and pursue careers that align both with their individual strengths and with the country’s future growth?

Akoon is a careers universe in your pocket – a playful, AI-powered platform that reimagines career discovery for a generation of digital natives. Instead of fact-finding forms, Akoon starts with curiosity: an interactive personality quiz that sparks exploration and invites students to imagine new futures. From there, the platform provides personalised recommendations, real-time sector data, and clear next steps, empowering young people to make confident, informed decisions.

‍Akoon was designed to bridge a structural gap, but it starts with the individual. The platform uses world-leading data sources to connect students with career options they may never have considered, while tailoring recommendations to personal interests and aspirations. Every response is conversational, human, and reassuring—powered only by curated, trusted content.

Students can explore industries, compare universities, and access peer feedback in one place. Akoon goes further by linking each career pathway to live projects, micro-credentials from universities, and virtual work experience with industry partners. By connecting exploration with opportunity, the platform turns curiosity into concrete next steps.

The Akoon interface is designed for 13–16 year olds: intuitive, mobile-first, and visually engaging. Its tone of voice is personal and informal, helping students feel supported rather than assessed. By blending data with storytelling, the platform makes career discovery less intimidating and more inspiring – an experience that feels natural to its audience.

Akoon aligns individual empowerment with national ambition. By helping young people discover their strengths and see how they connect to Saudi Arabia’s growth sectors, it supports Vision 2030’s goals to increase graduate employability, boost female participation in the workforce, and unlocking the Kingdom’s human capital potential.