MADINAH: Technology-oriented primary education, incentives for scientists, funds to promote knowledge-based research and enterprises were some of the major recommendations of last week’s Global Knowledge Economy Forum in Madinah.
Releasing the final statement of the forum yesterday, Amr Al-Dabbagh, governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), said the recommendations would be submitted to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for consideration.
The Madinah Knowledge Economic City (KEC) is one of the four cities King Abdullah announced in June 2006 to be established in a bid to make the Kingdom an international high-tech bastion.
The forum called on government departments to make concerted efforts to complete preparatory works on schedule in order to make the SR30-billion city a reality by 2020.
The statement stressed the need for “the implementation of the strategy for a technology-based primary education and development of the skills and performance of teachers.”
The forum called for setting up a global advisory committee for knowledge forums and other programs at the upcoming knowledge cities in the country. It also wanted the government to support the innovative ideas of small investors in the field of information technology and other knowledge-based industries.
It stressed the need for launching broadband network connections for fast interaction with the outside world. The statement said that for the free flow of the highest intellectual caliber to the knowledge cities, scientists should be invited solely on the basis of merit.
