Targeting Propagation of Multimedia Culture and Developing National Skills
Dr. Al-Suwaiyel Launches a Project of Technology and Expertise Transfer in Fields of Multimedia
Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Suwaiyel, KACST President, launched today in KACST’s headquarters in Riyadh a project of Technology and Expertise Transfer in Fields of Multimedia in a partnership between KACST and Index Holdings group of companies in the presence of a number of officials and specialists.
The project comprehends constructing a multimedia excellence center in collaboration with a Japanese work team. This center would constitute one of the most interaction incentives for King Abdullah Initiative for Digital Content through making full use of skills of the center cadres to develop and feed the digital content with high quality products and services based on the society ‘s needs, Islamic culture and its social customs and traditions.
Dr. Al-Suwaiyel stressed that two years ago, KACST reported the status of the Arabic content on the internet to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. At that time, the Arabic content was very scanty not exceeding 0,03%; therefore, KACST requested adopting King Abdullah Initiative for Arabic Content that targets prompting the Arabic content on the internet. Dr. Al-Suwaiyel highlighted that the Arabic content on the internet should not be less that 5% because as Arabic speakers represent 5% out of the total world population.
KACST President reviewed efforts exerted by KACST during the last two years to increase the Arabic content on the internet such as scanning potentialities in the Arab World and what KACST can offer of translation and composition, pointing out that the content comprehends what is spoken, written and read besides the multimedia, stressing that this content has already doubled three times due to these efforts and collaboration with well-established companies and corporations in this field such as Google Corporation that supports KACST in the Arabic Content on the Internet, the Japanese Index Holdings and Index Middle East Limited.
The ceremony program of launching the project included a synopsis about the project presented by Dr. Abudlaziz Ibrahim Alhargan through which he discussed the multimedia industry as one of the most important transferring industries that preserve peoples’ cultures, communication and extend culture bridges among them in the same time that is considered as one of the industries that store intellectual and cultural production throughout human generations.
Dr. Alhargan elaborated that given the nature of their propagation mechanisms through various means of communication, the multimedia are featured by the ability to jump over traditional obstacles and barriers and being within the reach of beneficiaries in a tremendous speed.
Dr. Alhargan went on stating that digital multimedia industries constitute a rapidly growing and vitally important international market that couples with social and economic development and integrates with various leading and emerging technologies as well as with fields of arts and culture; furthermore, the role of multimedia as an innovative industry is an important indicator on the country’s entry into the field of advanced knowledge industries. He also highlighted that the multimedia industry comprehends software of interactive games, films simulation, internet, what is after production, special effects and TV advertisements.
Dr. Alhargan anticipated the local demand on multimedia and communication during the current 2010 year to hit three times its level in the early nineties of the 20th century. The demand on multimedia in the private sector would be little more than the demand in the public sector, that would lead to multiplication of numbers of employees in companies that produce and distribute multimedia technologies besides developing jobs and professions faster than the normal average.
The ceremony program also included a speech by Mr. Homyaki Yamayo for Index Holdings besides a speech by Mr. Bassam Al-Dhabaan the Chairman of the company in the Middle East who emphasized the importance of the joint project between KACST and Index to develop technologies that support the multimedia industry and the digital content and have an effective role in training Saudi youth on practicing professional work and production in fields of multimedia.
Mr. Al-Dhabaan reviewed some Arab and World indicators that reflect the volume of this industry whereas the volume of the Arab content, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), amounted to about 9 billion dollar in the year 2000 with a growth rate of 10 -20% annually while some statistics estimated the volume of this industry on the global level by more than 43 billion dollar with 30% annual growth rate.
At the end of the ceremony, samples of the project works were displayed through which a training program had been designed to produce animations and computer games because developing and producing them include all aspects of developing the multimedia products that by its turn guarantees the success of the program of preparing and qualifying a team of highly-qualified Saudi trainees.