Produce or perish was Churchill’s post-war cry which was translated into action by many nations. Today in the Internet age, the cry of every developing world economy seems to be "Go digital or perish."
"Yes, our economy has to go digital. We just can’t afford to be left behind when every other economy has become digital or is in the process of becoming so. The longer we take, the more difficult it will be for us to take the necessary steps."
The warning comes from Amr M. Khashoggi, a reputable Saudi businessman who exudes confidence when he talks and whose actions speak volumes for the pragmatic approach that the 21st century demands.
"In fact, there are many companies in Saudi Arabia which are already linked electronically to the overseas companies they represent. So they are already downloading information, catalogs, product information, software solutions, etc. Isn’t it faster and more efficient now?" asks Khashoggi, chairman and chief executive officer of Amkest Group, a holding company involved in various business fields, and vice chairman of Modern Computers & Communication Co. Ltd.
"Really, we cannot afford to remain behind the rest of the world when many countries have already adopted a digital economy," says Khashoggi. "Instead of the time-consuming, laborious and costly method of receiving information, we can just download all that we need from websites and print them for our use. This benefits the local economy as well. So the sooner we understand the implications and advantages of linking ourselves to the digital economy, the better we can prepare ourselves, especially when we (the Kingdom) plan to join the World Trade Organization.
"But our going digital is not all that simple. We also have to recognize that there are challenges. We’re an Arabic speaking country and our dealings are in Arabic. The sooner we’re able to localize some of the programs, the sooner we can have them mass-used by the general public."
Khashoggi, who is chief adviser to the Saudi Committee for the Development of International Trade of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce & Industry and chief coordinator of the Outreach Program, graduated from the Yale School of Management with an MBA in 1979. He also serves as a board member of the Jeddah Marketing Board. He is a member of the Committee of International Relations at the JCCI and co-founder of the Saudi chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization, a global group with more than 9,000 members.
"We all know that the digital economy is one connected by an electronic network. It is efficient, fast and transcends borders. But it must be understood that there are certain aspects of the economy that cannot be digitized — for instance, delivering goods. One of the major challenges for Amazon.com in competing with regular bookstores was in actual delivery of books. Talking about books, we find there’s an increased movement toward digitally-produced books that people can download or read online."
Khashoggi agreed with the Jordanian planning minister who said that education was one of the major challenges facing the Arab world. He noted: "Jordan has a population of five million: 50 percent of them are under 18 and there are 20 universities. Here in the Kingdom we have only nine universities for 20 million people, 60 percent of them under 20. So we do need more universities. But the point the Jordanian minister stressed was not the number of universities but the kind of curriculum in those universities. He encouraged the business community to get involved in the creation of universities and participate in curriculum development. I’m a firm believer that the government should play the role of a facilitator and a coordinator with all resources at its command. It should allow the private sector to play a greater role in economic development. Hasn’t our government provided everything for us, from health care to education to infrastructure, whether roads, hospitals or airports? The business community must get involved in sharing part of that responsibility," Khashoggi says.
"However," he adds, "it must be recognized that the business community is not going to partake in every activity if the activity doesn’t make commercial sense. So a formula needs to be worked out and that is where I think technology can play a major role because it is technology that will enable the business community to provide services efficiently and cost-effectively."
As far as e-Health is concerned, the Kingdom is advanced. The Kingdom took the initiative in the creation of the International e-Health Association whose first conference last year was attended by more than 1,000 professionals. Twice the number of people are expected to participate in the next conference scheduled for London from Sept. 18-20," Khashoggi said.
Asked where the Kingdom stands in the matter of e-Government, Khashoggi said: "I think we have a long way to go, but we’re moving there. We have to be able to renew licenses electronically, approve industrial license applications and maybe renew iqamas. But right now, I think, the first step for us as far as e-Government is concerned is providing information online. Then we can start developing websites and making them more interactive and more dynamic."
He emphasizes that the Kingdom is a very important country, important for all players in the global economy. The Middle East, with its more than 300 million population is a large market. "The economies in the region can be linked by technology and so trade can be boosted. The more we Arabs trade with each other, the stronger our economies will be and technology will certainly play an important role."
Doesn’t this sound like someone advocating "think globally, act locally"?
