Arab Mobile Communication Studies

RIYADH, 27 May 2006 — The Kingdom will set up an Information Communications Technology training institute in Riyadh in cooperation with Malaysia. The proposed venture is estimated to cost SR120 million. The Kingdom has allocated SR3 billion for e-government projects over the next five years.

“The Multimedia Development Corporation and four private sector companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have signed a letter of intent to set up the Information and Communications Technology Training Institute in the capital,” Malaysian Ambassador Ismail Haji Ibrahim told Arab News yesterday.

The letter of intent to establish the institute was signed between the MDeC and four Saudi establishments when a 16-member Saudi delegation headed by Abdul Aziz A. Jasser, ICT committee chairman of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, visited Kuala Lumpur recently. The four Saudi companies that inked the agreement included Malaz Group, Tech Invest Communication and Information Technology and Engineering Applications and the Arabian Advanced Systems.

“Malaysia has a unique experience in developing technical institutions,” the envoy said, pointing out that this is the second e-project that will be carried out in the Kingdom with the cooperation of Malaysian expertise.

Last year, the two countries signed an agreement for eMadinah project to channel government and business sectors to operate using information and communication technologies. Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Madinah Governor Prince Miqren witnessed the signing ceremony held in Madinah.

“eMadinah is the first of its kind not only in Saudi Arabia but in the whole the region,” the envoy said. The project included five concurrent tracks on business, technology, human resources, program and change management and knowledge management.

“The setting up of an ICT training institute in Riyadh is one of the areas identified by the 16-member Saudi ICT delegation,” Multimedia Development Corp (MDC) said in a statement yesterday.

Al-Jasser said the initiative is expected to attract Malaysian technical institutions to partner with Saudi companies in establishing and running the institute. The joint committee will also look into the establishment of a Saudi-Malaysia ICT Fund to spearhead private sector investments in both countries.

The committee will jointly explore collaborative projects in the areas of ICT and multimedia including data recovery and hosting services, technology park development, public-private partnership collaboration on egovernment projects, content/media and computer-based engineering services.