Intel celebrates first anniversary of regional digital transformation initiative

"Technology can expand what is possible to create opportunities for people across the Middle East," said Intel Chairman Craig Barrett at a ceremony attended by government officials, industry leaders and celebrities that included Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmy.

Barrett described Intel's work and partnerships with telecom regulatory authorities to deploy WiMAX wireless broadband pilots this year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey. The Intel Capital Middle East and Turkey Fund also invested in Egypt's Orascom Telecom WiMAX Limited in May.

To further stimulate local industry growth, Intel opened the Intel Innovation Centre at the Dubai Internet City on Tuesday. The centre is an extension of Intel's energy competency lab at the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi.
Using the latest computing technology, petroleum geophysicists, geologists and reservoir engineers will track the location and behaviour of oil and other hydrocarbon deposits. With support from HP and Microsoft, Intel also established a competency centre in 2003 focused on the financial services industry at the American University in Beirut. An additional competency lab is located at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia, where Intel created an internship and job placement program for engineering students.

"Public-private collaboration is vital in deploying technology that improves how people learn, work and live," Barrett said, citing the Dubai Waterfront as an example.

During the last year, Intel launched the Platform Development Centre in Cairo, which conducts research for the development of more accessible computing in the region and other emerging markets. The centre helped develop a small, energy-efficient PC tailored to operate in hot climates. Designed for first-time computer users and equipped with Arabic software, the full-feature PCs are being sold through governments and telecommunications companies.

Barrett also joined the Minister of Education (MoE) and the Director of Abu Dhabi Education Zone at an awards ceremony today for the first 1,000 Abu Dhabi teachers who completed the Intel® Teach training program. The program launched this year in Abu Dhabi, Lebanon and Morocco with support from their MoEs, extending existing efforts in Egypt, Jordan and Turkey. Since 2003, more than 200,000 teachers across the Middle East and Turkey have learned how to apply technology to improve classroom learning through the Intel Teach curriculum.

"Education is the foundation of a knowledge-based economy," Barrett said. "The Intel Teach program is centred on the belief that computers aren't magic, but teachers are. Only by putting the tools and training in place to empower teachers can we truly improve learning and the development of student skills."

Intel's Digital Transformation Initiative served as a catalyst for Intel's global USD$1 billion World Ahead Program.