Saudi Arabia’s Digital Future and eGovernment
 KFUPM Rector Dr. Khaled S. Al-Sultan was presented with a plaque by Gordon Graylish, Intel’s vice president and general manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa. (AN photo by Imran Haider) | |
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DHAHRAN, 14 March 2006 — Digital is the word of the moment at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM). For 2006, KFUPM has made a commitment to not only bridge the digital divide and grow its information and communications technology resources to be on par with the best universities worldwide, but also to stand out as a leader in helping emerging markets surge into the digital age.
As part of the KFUPM Mobile Computing Project, the university has recently completed the implementation of a campus-wide WiFi network and distributed over 800 laptops to its entire faculty. The current goal is to move toward enabling each student with a wireless notebook. The KFUPM campus now has over 365 WiFi access points spread across 38 buildings with three open-air wireless zones. In terms of coverage area and the number of access points, it is the largest deployment of Wireless LAN technology on any campus or organization in the region. KFUPM’s Information Technology Center under its director, Dr. Sadiq M. Sait, was responsible for overseeing the implementation. The goal of the project has been to guarantee true anytime-anywhere connectivity with the utmost in security, uptime and bandwidth.
“The wireless network now enables greater flexibility and mobility for students and faculty,” said Dr. Sait. “Moving from building to building they can now conveniently access the Internet, resources on the KFUPM Intranet, Courses on the WebCT, library journals and catalogs, student registration, other network applications and several enterprise services.”
He continued, “Wireless networking opens up a world of opportunities at KFUPM previously not possible. For example, our infrastructure now facilitates research collaboration through Net Telephony software on smart phones. Faculty and students on campus can communicate at ease with VOIP technology at no cost. With Wi-Fi, virtually every employee is now no more than a few key strokes away from a world of new ideas.”
The university is taking steps to ensure the best use of the new mobile technology. Students and faculty are being given high performance WiFi enabled notebook PCs and desktops at the university are being replaced with docking stations. The aim is to transform the knowledge workers at KFUPM into potential agents of significant change. In addition, KFUPM has launched a new website to enhance its presence on the Net and provide the world with a wider window on the university community.
Dr. Sait was making his comments as part of a presentation before KFUPM students and faculty, and invited guests from Intel Corporation. Executives from Intel were visiting the university to announce the launch at KFUPM of the Intel Engineering Excellence Program and the creation of an Intel Energy Competency Laboratory. During the event, Gordon Graylish, Intel’s vice president and general manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa, presented Dr. Khaled S. Al-Sultan, rector of KFUPM, with a plaque honoring the rector’s “leadership in integrating technology to improve higher education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
KFUPM is joining hands with Intel to offer its best Saudi students special placements at Intel facilities as part of the Intel Engineering Excellence Program. This program will enable Intel and KFUPM to address the needs of skills development and knowledge transfer, which will in turn contribute toward enhancing the overall professional standing of KFUPM graduates.
Addressing the assembly at the launch event, Graylish said, “The Intel Engineering Excellence Program is part of our Digital Transformation Initiative and we are pleased to launch the first chapter of this initiative in the Gulf’s largest economy. Working with KFUPM, we are offering gifted students in ICT-related fields (the chance to) gain work experience and training, and address some of the more pressing needs of regional governments. It also helps provide the building blocks for information-based economies, creating job opportunities and improving competitiveness in the global digital marketplace. The program underscores Intel’s long-term commitment to promote technology skills, knowledge transfer and economic development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the region.”
Dr. Al-Sultan added, “This program is an example of public-private collaboration at its best. It will contribute to the personal and career development of our students and work for the greater good of the Saudi economy and society. The program meets the specific scientific, technical and management challenges facing the Kingdom today, and helps put our knowledge workers on the world map.”
The internships will be implemented through KFUPM’s Cooperative Program, which aims to bolster the practical experience of students prior to graduation and equip them with the necessary vocational skills to excel in the workplace. The Intel Engineering Excellence Program seeks top science and engineering undergraduates, post-graduate and doctorate students whose studies encompass relevant subjects in the Information Communication Technology sphere, such as computer science and engineering, wireless communications and electrical engineering.
The joint exercise with KFUPM will satisfy the practical training requirements of its colleges in Applied Engineering, Industrial Management, Computer Sciences and Engineering, and Environmental Design. A managing committee will review applications and a policy specialist will monitor the program to ensure internships match the evolving ICT objectives of the Kingdom. This committee will specify technical areas of interest to guide the selection of students, and the most promising candidates will be picked through a series of interviews. A sophisticated reporting and evaluation structure for the internships will also be put in place.
Alongside the announcement of the new internship program, Intel was also pleased to discuss plans for the Intel Energy Competency Laboratory at KFUPM, which will be inaugurated in May. Located in the university’s research center, the lab will use the latest Intel software and hardware. It will offer significant computer power for students and academic staff alike to run projects, research and development. Importantly as well, the new facility will provide KFUPM early access to pre-production Intel technologies — and access to Intel technology as it is being developed. The Intel Energy Competency Laboratory will also host training on Intel’s software tools, libraries and optimization techniques. This will allow KFUPM students and the industry to gain valuable hands-on experience and serve as a platform for companies looking to optimize and test solutions using Intel technologies.
Speaking about this innovative new research facility Dr. Al-Sultan said: “The Intel laboratory will be an excellent addition to the university’s research infrastructure and a special opportunity for Saudi industry that will allow the Kingdom’s most gifted students to work at the forefront of technology development. The Intel Energy Competency Lab will be an excellent tool to develop local competencies and ultimately valuable technological solutions for the needs of local and regional industry.”
Richard Wirt, vice president and general manager of Intel’s Software and Solutions Group, agreed. “The Intel Energy Competency Laboratory is a prestigious project and we hope its success will be replicated across the region,” he said. “KFUPM is an ideal environment to further Intel’s technology leadership. In addition, the university’s academic reputation and relationships with local industry will be enhanced by our joint research and development partnership.”
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