Many Arabic-speaking people in Qatar and the Gulf are still deprived of access to websites in their language. However Information and Communication Technology-Qatar (ictQatar) is now working to close the gaps in the “digital divide”.
Dr Hessa Al Jaber, ictQatar General Secretary, told The New York Times in a recent interview the communications regulatory authority is starting a project to digitise approximately 18,000 books in Arabic as part of its initiative to give Arabic-speaking people more access to the Internet.
“There are about 300 million of us and 65 percent of Arabs who explore the Internet do not read or write English. Additionally, few of the sites in that one or two percent have good quality,” Jaber said.
She, however, admitted the effort to develop more Arabic websites still poses a great challenge that requires a serious effort from all Arab countries.
“When most people view the digital divide they always consider access capability and affordability. For the Arab region the availability of the Arabic content is a very important factor,” Jaber said.
She said ictQatar had already blazed a trail when it developed the Hukoomi website early this year, which is a huge upgrade from the previous e-government site and offers e-services and useful information about Qatar and all government agencies and councils.
Jaber has solicited support from people who can read and write both English and Arabic to join the effort to close the “digital divide.”
“When we developed Hukoomi, there were identical Arabic and English sections, but it was much easier for us to work on the English one because the application was simpler in terms of design and technical matters. The team spent a lot more time on the Arabic part,” Jaber said.
Developing more Arabic websites is part of ictQatar’s goal to connect people to modern technology that enriches their lives and drives economic development.
“When we started ictQatar in 2005, we identified how technology could advance Qatar’s vision in becoming a knowledge-base economy. The government is working in all sectors to create a prosperous future where citizens enjoy unlimited social, economic and political opportunities. ICT is a crucial part of achieving that goal,” she said.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Chris V Panganiban
Quelle/Source: The Peninsula On-line, 22.12.2008
