Al-Sharekh receives Middle East award for Quarter Century of IT achievement

Al Sharekh President, Al Alamiah Group of companies/Sakhr Software Co. made this statement as he accepted the award for "Quarter Century IT Business Leaders & Achievers" at a large ceremony held at Burj Al Arab, Dubai, on the opening day of Gitex 2004, Sunday, 3rd October.

The event was attended by ministers, diplomats and heads of IT companies in the region.

This award comes as recognition of Al Sharekh's extensive efforts in building the IT industry and the industry of Arabic language programs into global horizons, ever since the early 70's of the last century and since the dawn of the invention of the first Arabic computer.

"It is only natural that Al Sharekh wins this award. He is the spiritual father behind the Arab IT technology, his penetrating vision combined with his large investment in the industry has gained him a leadership role at a time when the IT industry was a risk limited only to global companies," commented Ali Al Kamali, Datamatix Group, President of the Award organizing committee. He added, "I can honestly say that Mr. Mohammed Al Sharekh deserves a much greater honor."

Other businessmen and organizations were also honored. The Saudi businessman Abdul Al Rahman Al Jeraisy, Chairman, Al Jeraisy Group, UAE businessman Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, Chairman, Bukhatir Investments Limited, as well as Dubai Traffic Police, who received the award for government institutions and HP received the award for international companies.

Notably, it was Al Sharekh who established "Al Alamiah" in 1970 as a project specializing in the computer field, with operations in Kuwait, KSA and a few other countries, providing integrated solutions to organizations, governments and large investment institutions. Al Alamiah group chose the IT field and its related services as the unique vessel to hold all of its investments in the Arab Region and around the world. The Group formed collaboration & alliances with international giants, benefiting from their experience, in order to bring to latest international IT developments to the thresholds of the Arab market, and in order to build a bridge between the needs of Arab consumers and the latest PC developments.

Al Sharkeh launched Sakhr Software Co. in 1982 as part of the Al Alamiah Group of companies. Sakhr developed many exceptional technologies which have left a strong mark on the IT sector in the Arab World, as it directed its every effort over the past twenty years towards enlisting computer and communication technologies to serve the unique needs of the Arabic language, and not vice versa.

These efforts have had the fruitful result of producing NLP for the Arabic language as developed by Sakhr Software Co. making Sakhr today the leading pioneering internationally in the field of developing solutions & products in the Arabic language, and a key player in the development of integrated solutions for e-governments in the Arab World, such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, to name but a few.

Al Sharekh was personally awarded several prestigious awards, both regionally and internationally, the most recent being "E-Visionary" which was awarded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince, and UAE Defense Minister.