ALKHOBAR, 30 September 2003 — Last week this column focused on the realities of satellite connectivity through an interview with local Regional BGAN (RBGAN) user Robert Guerra. In a follow up conversation about Inmarsat’s RBGAN service, Samer Halawi, Inmarsat’s regional director, Middle East & Africa spoke about plans to upgrade Inmarsat’s communication technology capabilities in the near future. Currently, Inmarsat uses capacity from Thuraya for its RBGAN service. However, by 2005 Inmarsat will have its own new generation of satellites covering the globe. At that time four different types of terminals will allow several connectivity options. For example, a terminal the same size as the one currently used for RBGAN would provide 432 kbits/s connectivity. A smaller A-5 size terminal could enable 212 kbits/s connectivity. Users will choose which terminal and connectivity option best suits their needs.

Also, in answer to many inquiries, RBGAN is outside KACST control, so there’s no content filtering. Remember though that fees are based on the amount of data downloaded. The service really isn’t affordable for the average user to download images. In fact, Guerra clicks off the graphics options when surfing the Net. Guerra told me that he is very interested in communicating with others who are using RBGAN or who are inclined to use the service. Send e-mails on the topic to the address at the bottom of the column and they’ll be forwarded.

Back on Sept. 9, this column featured the great potential for the use of video conferencing, but bemoaned the fact that as of yet the rewards weren’t being realized. After the column appeared, I learned of one high profile executive in the region who is using this technology.

Drawing on her more than 16 years experience in information technology management in the Middle East, Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi, CEO, Tejari delivered an address via video conferencing technology to the Women’s Executive Leadership Summit hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Business School, USA.

In keeping with the theme, “Changing the Standards, Raising the Bar, How Women are Leading in a New World Order,” Tejari’s CEO discussed the challenges and highlights of her last three years as the leading decision-maker for the region’s online marketplace. Specifically, Sheikha Al-Qasimi outlined lessons learned in her role as a female business leader.

“In an increasingly global economy, decision-makers are learning from best practices not only from their own industry sectors or regions, but from the issues that other executives have faced elsewhere in the world,” commented Sheikha Al-Qasimi.

“The Women’s Executive Leadership Summit addresses a number of critical topics, including the need for continuing education, the wide-ranging opportunities for women to contribute to economic development, and how to empower the next generation of leaders, regardless of gender,” she continued. “Tejari’s success and the key roles that women executives have contributed to growth of the marketplace are highly positive examples of the potential for women leaders throughout the Arab business community.”

There’s more good news out from the UAE, and perhaps a new female business leader in the making. HP has chosen to award a four-year scholarship to a 19-year-old UAE national from Sharjah.

When Sara Suroor approached The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management to inquire about their degree course, she was also interested in the availability of a scholarship to cover the cost of her education. Having submitted her application for the educational program, she then also applied for the Hewlett-Packard degree course sponsorship.

“We receive many applications for the HP sponsorship program so competition is intense,” said Ron Hilvert, principal, The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management. “We were, though, very impressed with Sara’s academic background, her tremendous enthusiasm for the course and her open and engaging manner. When considering the various candidates for the course with HP it was the combination of these three elements that won her the scholarship.”

In October, Sara begins work for her Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management. The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management course is designed to provide a strong combination of academic and practical hands-on experience to give graduates “fast start” capabilities for future employers. The course was developed in academic association with the prestigious Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland. In the third year of the program, students are given the option of studying at the Ecole Hoteliere for two semesters.

“The hospitality industry is growing hugely in the UAE and throughout the Middle East and HP works very closely with many companies and organizations in this sector,” said Christoph Schell, GM, HP Personal Systems Group (PSG), Middle East. “We have developed a very close working relationship with The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management. When we learned of the opportunity to sponsor the degree course we were very pleased to have the opportunity to help the future development of this sector.”

Sara Suroor graduated from Latifa School for Girls and lives in Sharjah with her parents and younger sister. After winning the scholarship, she has high hopes for the future.

“I am a UAE national,” said Suroor. “Although my father is local, my mother is from Ireland, so I was fortunate enough to grow up with the best of both worlds — the East and the West. My parents have always pushed my brother, sister and I to achieve bigger and better things in all aspects of our lives. I feel that as a local, entering into this field I might have the opportunity to do that. There are so few national men or women in the hospitality industry, which is ironic because of how renowned Dubai is for its hotels. I hope that I, and people like me, will be able to make some sort of difference.”

She continued, “Having been awarded the HP scholarship I can now complete my studies in the UAE, which is recognized to be a world leader in the hospitality industry. I am very grateful to all concerned for their help and encouragement.”

HP has been making other strong moves to support the aspirations of UAE students. The company has just announced its Graduate Recruitment Scheme for UAE Nationals with the signing of an Educational Memorandum of Understanding between HP and the UAE’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

HP’s annual Graduate Recruitment Scheme is the first of its kind in the UAE. It has been devised to encourage university students to join the private sector in the Middle East and in particular, to gain invaluable hands on experience in the IT industry.

The Consortium of Higher Colleges of Technology, Zayed University and United Arab Emirates University will undertake the preliminary selection process and choose the initial candidates to go forward to the interview stage with HP ME. Other universities and education institutes in the UAE may also nominate a number of students every year.

The Scheme is based on an internship of 12 months, where interns work across a broad spectrum of divisions within HP focusing on sales, technical consultancy and customer support. At the end of the internship, HP will select the top performing nationals to join its operations in the UAE or in any other country within International Sales Europe (ISE) as permanent members of staff, working on an unlimited contract with Hewlett Packard. The final selection will be based on a performance review consisting of written feedback on previously agreed objectives and through meetings with the interns’ managers. It’s a pity though that such a recruitment program isn’t available in the Gulf’s largest market, Saudi Arabia.

Last, but not least today, there is news from Mohammed I. Al-Suwaiyel, VP, King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) about two upcoming events. On Oct. 18, the National Center for Mathematics and Physics (NCMP) will be holding its opening ceremony and sponsoring a speaker program. NCMP, a science research center at KACST, plans to support symposia, summer schools and workshops on mathematics and physics. NCMP also aims to educate the public about the importance of mathematics and physics in daily life, and inspire young students and encourage them to improve their scientific and research abilities. The center will sponsor national contests in mathematics and physics in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

The following morning, Oct. 19, KACST in co-operation with the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, will release the first volume of a nine volume series in English on Arab and Muslim contributions to Cryptology. The ceremony, which will be followed by six seminars on Cryptology, is open to the public and will start at 9:00 in the main auditorium of Building 17.

There is rising concern for the confidentiality of information in this age of e-commerce, e-business and e-government. It is widely assumed that historically Cryptology was the domain of Western scientists. However, recent discoveries of manuscripts attributed to Al-Kindi, Ibn Ad-Durayhim and other Muslim scholars have now revealed that Muslim scholars pioneered and developed this science century before it was known in the west. It is hoped that making such historical information and manuscripts available in English will enlighten the world on the important contributions from Muslim scientists in this field.

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