It's just a question that I keep thinking about, a lot actually. What would happen to Arab countries and to the Middle East? Could they manage to survive? I really don't think so, but may be It's just me..
Without Oil tha arab conturies became a donkey on th desert.
They know nothing to do with Oil now and as usual they live without puropse and objectif to reach. They have a dream to become an américain donkey and that what will happen soon or later.
You’re absolutely right, they have not invested in agricultural projects to feed themselves, they haven’t invested in education, not even in tourism, nothing! It’s really scary what could take place. I know some may think this is the view of pessimists, but I have to say, it’s not very far from reality, Cheers,
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2005 02:32 by almotanabi.
They are investing a lot in education at all level. They have good contact to Mahatir of Malysia......
Technology Initiatives in the United Arab Emirates
Over the past decade, the United Arab Emirates has been building modern infrastructure in an effort to attract foreign investment into the country, and investing in education and training for youth and adults alike in preparation for a move toward a knowledge-based economy. Four important initiatives are described below. The first of these has to do with human resource development, while the others are aimed at the development of state-of-the-art ICT infrastructure and work environments with a view to encouraging further investment in the country, with all the socioeconomic benefits that would ensue.
1. Technology Parks
The United Arab Emirates is nowadays committed to the development of a skilled national workforce animated by entrepreneurial spirit. The Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT) was established over a decade ago, and now constitutes a hub for a network of 13 Higher Colleges of Technology. It has established a network of spin-offs that will undoubtedly help the country enter the knowledge economy era.
CERT operates two science and technology parks, one in Abu Dhabi and one in Dubai, providing access to world-class experts in technology through more than 20 multinational partners, including Lucent, Honeywell, Northrop Grumman, Daimler-Chrysler and Thomson CSF. These parks were established to foster the use of the latest technologies in the United Arab Emirates while building the technological infrastructure required for further sustained development. CERT has forged strategic alliances with a variety of multinational partners in pursuit of these goals, and also as a means to the emergence of a regional resource.
These parks harness multinational firms in the service of the country’s economic and human resource development by setting up educational and business goals. They also provide an integrated solution through training, product development and consultancy services, thereby expediting the transfer of technologies to the region. The technology parks and their partners provide fertile ground for incubators to grow and for new businesses to carry out advanced technology projects that will be useful to the region as a whole as well as to the United Arab Emirates.
CERT also offers courses in a variety of fields, including engineering, business and health care. It provides professional advancement and lifelong learning opportunities for the United Arab Emirates community, the Gulf Region and, through its online courses, the rest of the world.
2. Abu Dhabi's Business Incubator
At the Tridex 2000 defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI), CERT and the United Arab Emirates Offsets Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of a working co-operation arrangement with the object of setting up a mechanism for the development of SMEs in the Emirate. This initiative is expected to foster entrepreneurial spirit and facilitate the process of turning innovative ideas, funding, business and professional development into new business opportunities for national entrepreneurs.
The resulting Abu Dhabi-based group will:
Support individual national start-up firms;
Develop a full business support infrastructure, like any incubator;
Provide access to a managed source of sustainable funds for seed money and venture capital;
Create opportunities for nationals to invest in these emerging firms.
The MoU formalizes the Abu Dhabi Business Incubator Programme and establishes a project team to pursue the further development of the initiative. New entrepreneurs will be provided with a complete start-up business service designed to help them clarify and develop their business ideas, put concepts into a business plan format, arrange for seed funding and venture capital and obtain business and professional training. In due course, a full-fledged business incubator will be operating at the CERT Technology Park in Abu Dhabi.
3. Abu Dhabi Innovation Centre
CERT has signed another MoU, this one with a German firm, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung, for the establishment of an innovation centre in Abu Dhabi with the objectives of (i) developing a sustainable technology base indigenous to the region, and (ii) applying existing technologies in innovative ways to further the region’s economic development.
This initiative, co-ordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering in Berlin and TecPlan Middle East in Dubai, is seeking to establish, with CERT, a series of spin-off business projects aimed at taking advantage of the opportunities arising from the quantum growth of information, communication and media technologies. The Fraunhofer Institute is a non-profit research and science organization specializing in these technologies and their application in start-up industries. It operates nearly 50 science and research institutes throughout Germany, the Far East and North America.
This initiative should help create an atmosphere in which the development of innovative technologies becomes a routine. Once the Abu Dhabi Innovation Centre is set up, the experience of working with scientists who have been innovating for half a century should enhance CERT’s development and stimulate the Higher Colleges’ own applied research capabilities.
4. Dubai Internet City
The Dubai Internet City (DIC) initiative was launched by the Government of Dubai in October 1999. It aims at creating the infrastructure, environment and attitude that modern businesses need in order to operate globally and efficiently in a knowledge-based economy. It capitalizes on Dubai’s established position as the Gulf’s major trading centre by inviting international IT firms to set up shop at a free-trade zone complex being erected on Dubai’s outskirts. The ultimate objective is to establish Dubai as a major regional hub for e-commerce. By promoting ICTs and Web-based businesses, DIC has created a cluster characterized by interaction among ICT developers, service providers, logistics firms, educators, incubators and venture capitalists at a single location.
The Chairman of the Dubai Internet City, Mr. M. Al-Gergawi, is on record as having stated that the proposed complex, which is being established at a cost of $272 million to the Government of Dubai, will act as an incubator for e-commerce in the region. It is estimated that private investors, representing approximately 200 firms, some of them from the Gulf Arab business community, will spend double the amount of the Government’s contribution to set up their own businesses at the complex. Incentives being offered to companies include the right to 100 per cent foreign ownership, 50-year land leases and tax exemptions on both corporate and personal income.
The approach adopted by the Dubai authorities does not rely on big names in the emerging field of e-commerce. On the contrary, it rests on the premise that big names are not needed in the dot.com era, and that start-up businesses may be prime movers in that field. It is particularly with reference to the latter point that DIC intends to accommodate numerous incubators. The project is also expected to create demand for talent from countries everywhere between the Indian subcontinent and South Africa.
The technical infrastructure at Dubai Internet City has been designed to world-class standards in terms of capacity, reliability, cost and service. Businesses can look forward to a high bandwidth, low cost, state-of-the-art telecommunication infrastructure with redundant connections to Internet primary backbone providers. Tenants can expect a 24-hour set-up and service guarantee. Competitively priced broadband Internet access to all offices and homes will be provided through state-of-the-art technology. Top international companies will provide a full spectrum of technical infrastructure such as data centres and server farms. The latest in IP telephony and wireless technology is also available, as well as a full range of Internet services including web-hosting and domain name services.
DIC has plans for S and T parks, where R and D centres and technology/business incubators will be located in a potent mix of knowledge, talent and entrepreneurship. This will create a highly supportive environment where new ideas can be nurtured and novel products quickly brought to market.
Hello krim, How about the other golf countries? Because I have to agree that the model of the United Arab Emirates is known to be a good one, and it seems to be evolving into a Singapore like kind of story. I read somewhere that the number of students who pursue university degrees fro example in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia is so low, also that almost nothing when it comes to agriculture is going on. Isn't that a recipe for disaster? I hope not but I could see it real also.
When I heard that Moroccans seem to have discover oil in the south. I said to myself this is very bad news.I think the fact that we do not have oil in Morocco, relatively speaking, we are not as stupid as the saudis etc...
If they do not have oil anymore, it´s good news. Then brainstorming can start. and With the help of climat change, namely a cold water.... Darwin will tell them move your ass or die..... I am some time hard with them.They do not know how to make history with the money.They are helping other economies than helping their own people.
chargement...
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