According to recent figures, Israel’s annual expenditure on scientific research is 16 times as much as the entire Arab world’s annual expenditure. As a result, the Jewish state has made giant leaps in science and technology, putting itself among the top industrial exporters and leading agricultural producers in the world.
In a recent teleconference, Dr. Farooq Bas, a senior space scientist at NASA, blamed the Arab countries for their gross negligence of scientific research. He attributed backwardness and poverty in Arab countries to their lukewarm efforts and very small budgetary allocations for scientific studies.
This unfortunate lack of interest in science and research is not the only reason why Arab and Muslim countries are left out of modern rapid economic and industrial progress. Because of their failures, the countries are left at the mercy of advanced countries.
The reputation and national pride of a country these days depends to a large extent on the size and nature of its contributions to the progress of modern civilization. Dr. Bas recommended the establishment of scientific foundations in the Arab and Muslim world which would promote scientific studies and research.
He warned against linking the foundations with the existing bureaucracy that is infamous for obstructing and hindering progress. As the role of the state would be minimal in the foundations, other financial sources would have to be found to support them.
Dr. Bas suggested that the beneficiaries of the studies should in fact finance the projects. His suggestions to raise funds included levying a small tax on mobile telephone calls. For people who make unlimited calls, a nominal tax would not be a burden.
Another suggestion is a small tax on every cigarette packet or bottle of perfume sold to the consumer. Such taxes would not be an unbearable expense to ordinary citizens.
I have heard that countries such as Yemen and the United Arab Emirates have responded positively to the scientist’s ideas. It is therefore time that we in the Kingdom woke up and dealt properly and earnestly with the matter.
