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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND HIGHER EDUCATION IN SAUDI ARABIA.
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Proposes a study to identify higher education needs in Saudi Arabia.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Proposes a study to identify higher education needs in Saudi Arabia. Use of the Internet as a vital component of the educational sysem. Brief history of Saudi Arabia. Cites relevant literature. How the Intrnet and media can support higher education for the 21st Century. Proposes a qualitative, exploratory case analysis.
Paper Introduction:
RESEARCH PROPOSAL: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, HIGHER
EDUCATION & THE STUDENT OF SAUDI ARABIA IN THE 21ST CENTURY
The Study's Objective
The objective of the proposed study is to identify the needs and priorities in higher education in Saudi Arabia with respect to the use of the Internet as a fundamental component in the educational system. Based upon the brief discussion of relevant literature which will be presented, it seems clear that the Internet represents a major and even vital source of information and data needed to increase the quality of learning in Saudi Arabia’s institutions of higher education. While this is clearly true, it is also true that numerous barriers exist which inhibit the capacity of Saudi Arabian university students and their institutions to capitalize upon IT and the Internet. The obje
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Peled, A. However, many established Saudi educatorsand administrators are themselves unfamiliar with computer technologies andhave proven resistant to incorporating sophisticated IT into educationalprogramming. Media willbe understood as affected by the culture in which it is created andimpacting upon the culture in which it is received. Hudson, M. (198 ). While this is clearly true, itis also true that numerous barriers exist which inhibit the capacity ofSaudi Arabian university students and their institutions to capitalize uponIT and the Internet. Hess, B., Markson, E., & Stein, D. In the UAE, where it is anticipated that commerce will eventually displace oil as the country's major sustainable source of wealth, public Internet service was opened by the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) in August 1995, with Internet links to the U.S. Internet myths in the Levant. The objective of the study is therefore to determinewhat IT and Internet needs and priorities exist in Saudi Arabia in thecontext of higher education. Expected Study Outcomes It is anticipated that this case study will reveal that a number ofvariables have negatively impacted upon the extension of Internet accessand use in higher education in Saudi Arabia and in the three othercountries of the Persian Gulf against which the Saudi experience will bemeasured. As Serwer (1999) has reported, Prince Alawaleed isnot only a majorinternational investor in various IT enterprises, he is also influential inbringing digital technology to the Arab world, backing an Arab Web portal,an ISP, and a massive satellite wireless network. 3. Cybersurfers of Arabia. New York:Macmillian. Similarly, Willard Beling (198 ) contends that in the 196 sthrough the 197 s, both the images and the words in the Saudi mediareflected the ideas and attitudes of the majority of the society which themedia served. All of this activity is taking place with theexpressed permission and approval of the Saudi monarchy, and it is likelythat it will continue in the future (Serwer, 1999). Peled (2 ) identified several specific explanations as towhy the Internet has not been incorporated into higher education throughoutthe Middle East to the degree that it has become omnipresent in the West: 1. C. Sociology. New Haven, CT.: Hraf Press. The kingdom continues to censor imports and hasoutright bans on sexually explicit videos of all types as well as anyvideos which depict females and males interacting or women unclothed. MIS Quarterly, 19 (5), 536-552. Saudi Telecom is now being privatized, which offers the potential forexpansion of Internet-based educational and commercial applications. 4) The high costs of Internet access and the lack of designated financial resources and management personnel for maintaining a strong Internet connectivity level. The Internet gainsacceptance in the Persian Gulf. This alienation has led to a resistance on the part ofmany educational administrators and planners with respect to IT. The impact of computeralienation on information technology investment decisions: An exploratorycross-national analysis. InformationTechnology, 11 (3), 244-249. Specifically, it is anticipated that the following issues willbe identified as inhibiting the growth of educational Internet use: 1) A shortage of computers, ISPs, other infrastructure, and related software programming in the university environment. Collectivism as opposed toindividualism, respect for an authoritarian political system rather than ademocratic political system, a relative distrust of or disinterest intechnology (until recently), and a rejection of Western-style progress infavor of tradition, have tended to be more predominant in Saudi Arabia thanin other more "modernized" or Westernized Islamic nations (al-Farsy, 1982). Marghalani, K., Palmgreen, P., & Boyd, D. Zahiruddin (1992) for example reported that the collection of thelibrary at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFPM) hasbeen updated and efforts are underway to ensure that the 9 percent or moreof the library's collection which is in non-Arabic languages are translatedinto Arabic. 2. Beling, W. As Tarbush (2 ) hasnoted, a more affluent generation of computer-literate Saudi youth arequietly demanding enhanced access to the Internet in the Kingdom. Shetty, V. Saudi officials and thereligious establishment consider many Internet sites, advertising formats,and marketing efforts to be either anti-Islamic or to violate centraltraditions and values of Islam and Saudi culture (Ambah, 1995; Elmusa,1997). Part of the problem with respect to the adaptation and expansion ofInternet use in Saudi Arabia and its educational system is what Abdul-Gaderand Kozar (1995) characterized as a level of computer-alienation amongdecision-makers. One of the major benefits of the Internet as a tool in highereducation is that it provides users with access to a broad and diversearray of data, content, information, and ideas. Journal of Broadcasting and ElectronicMedia, 36, 217-223. Any imported films were carefully previewedand edited to ensure that they conformed to Saudi social standards and "noreligion other than Islam could be mentioned and alcoholic beverages andopen display of affection between men and women were banned" (Mackey, 199 ,p. Faust without the devil? Changed identities: The challenge of the newgeneration in Saudi Arabia: Saudiisation gets serious.Middle East Economic Digest, 44 (37), 37-4 . (1992). For example, al-Oofy and McDaniel (1992)have reported that many young male Saudis use television VCRs to viewmovies and other videos that they obtain from outside the kingdom (or onthe black market). O. (1995). Withthe growing worldwide spread and increasing commercialization of theInternet, other constituencies in the Kingdom have also added their voicesto demands for increased emphasis on the potentials of this learning tool. A newdetermination to incorporate IT into higher education and into commercialactivities throughout Saudi Arabia is emerging. Business Week, 3478,1 8D. Association for Computing Machinery, 41,(3), 19-25. Basedupon the brief discussion of relevant literature which will be presented,it seems clear that the Internet represents a major and even vital sourceof information and data needed to increase the quality of learning in SaudiArabia's institutions of higher education. There is a great deal of tension between modernity and traditionthat is directly related to technology transfer. The Middle East Journal, 3, 345-358. It is Prince Alawaleed'sintent to bring the Saudi Internet participation up to date and to ensurethat boththe commercial and educational sectors will benefit from this process.Prince Alawaleed is building a school which will be thoroughly "wired" witha gigabyte Ethernet backbone network run on the latest hardware from Cisco. (1997). Though slow, this process is proceeding and as Shetty (2 )reports, Saudi Telecom is now promising huge improvements in capacity forISPs, including a $35 million deal with Lucent Technologies. (1979). Communications International,September, 66-68. Burkhart and Goodman (1998)further note that in terms of population, wealth, and geography, the moststriking under representation in terms of Internet connectivity consists ofthe 51 members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). A. 5. Background of the Case The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was created by the late Abd al-Aziz IbnAbd ar-Rahman al-Faisal Al Saud from territories that had known little inthe way of unity since the period during which Mohammed's immediatesuccessors held power (Lipsky, 1979). Saudi Arabia: Its People, Its Society, ItsCulture. Theproblem with respect to the Internet is that strong government censorshipof content inhibits the proliferation of educational applications of thistechnology. However, a few large areas have been slow to acquire this technology,including the most extremely poor countries of sub-Saharan Africa and smallisland states in the Southwest Pacific. A qualitative, exploratory case analysis such as that proposed hereinoffers a unique opportunity to assess the status quo, identify trends overtime, and make predictions regarding the future. Al-Farsy, F. Included in these objectivesis education, which has become a critically important variable fordevelopment in Saudi Arabia (Al-Sharhan, 2 ). The term cultural hegemony is alsosignificant in that it refers to control over the production of values andnorms by those in power. Lipsky, G. Where the Internet and other IT systems are beingadopted in Saudi Arabia is in the urban environment. A final limitation to the case analysis approach to studying thequestion at hand is that many relevant sources or publications that addressissues related to the Internet and educational use of the Internetthroughout the Persian Gulf and in Saudi Arabia are not readily accessiblein the United States.A case analysis offers the opportunity for the researcher to compare andcontrast the ways in which different Persian Gulf states are coming toterms with the enhanced significance of the Internet, and the demand fromuniversities, faculty members and students for increased participation inand access to this global medium. The interplay oftechnology and culture in Saudi Arabia. The Economist, 349(8 9 ), 5 . Burkhart and Goodman (1998) have suggested that throughout theregion, there is a desire on the part of academics, business people, andprivate computer owners alike to gain Internet access or to enhance theircurrent connectivity. The faculty at King Saud University have become extremelyactive in promoting the advantages of Internet connections and use. Education and the satellite: Possibilitiesfor Saudi Arabia? The Problem Statement There is a lack of scientific, technical, and economic facilitieswhich are needed to provide the necessary objects for using the Internet inthe higher education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As Zahiruddin (1992) pointed out, for any IT system to becomesuccessful in the Middle East, it must support the processing of Arabicscript materials. Several factors may account for this limitation.First, the strong theocratic traditions of the states of the Persian Gulfhave, as briefly discussed earlier in this proposal, led to significantlags in providing for general public access to the Internet and otherpurportedly "Western" media. Consequently, government policies (themselvesshaped by a strong Islamic tradition and by a distancing of culture fromthat of the West) have not been particularly focused on expanding Internetaccess throughout the region. Several key concepts are important as preliminary points ofdiscussion in this report. It is therefore proposed that the case study focus on such countriesas Kuwait, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Under Ibn Saud, an Arab state underArab monarchical rule was created. It isanticipated that this joint venture will increase the number of Internetaccess lines in Saudi Arabia from 15, to 35, , using a variety oftechnologies, including DSL. 265). It is anticipated that further data regarding the situation vis-a-visInternet use and proliferation in Saudi Arabia would also be generated by aqualitative case study analysis. A. Second, most of the telecommunications systemsin the Persian Gulf states are either fully controlled and operated byagencies of the state government, or at the very least, significantlymonitored by such agencies. However, themajor difficulty encountered by students and many teachers alike in usingthe resources of this and other university libraries in Saudi Arabia wasthe relative paucity of Arabic language materials. Least-linecustomers, including cyber cafes retained direct access until mid-1997,when Etisalat began installing proxy servers at these clients' sites. (1998). A tendency throughout the states of the Middle East to position government as the sole moderator, controller, and operator of telecommunications systems of all kinds. (1998). Burkhart, G. The service provided by Etisalat in theUAE initially offered a direct Internet linkage, but followingrecommendations from an ad hoc committee, the organization installed aproxy server to limit the foreign hosts that can be contacted. The academic programs of this university were, as of 1992,supported by a central library with a strong collection. Al-Sharhan, J. The purpose of this study is toexamine the ways in which the Internet can be employed in the Kingdom tosupport higher education and to increase the educational quality of SaudiArabia and its students in the 21st century. The lack of an established or extensive Internet Service Provider (ISP) infrastructure, adding to the cost of Internet use. It is further expected that the study will identify significantvariances between the countries under examination.Given that the literature now indicates that the Saudi royal family underthe leadership of Price Alwaleed, is working to develop a more effectiveand acceptable Internet presence in the Kingdom and in the Kingdom'sinstitutions of higher education, it is expected that some movement towardsexpansion of Internet access and shifts in government policy will also bedetermined by the case study approach. At the same time, as George Lipsky(1979) claims, creation and development of the Saudi kingdom set off in thesocial organization of the area, a process of change, which has reached tothe deepest levels of society and culture. It is Mackey's (199 ) belief that there is a culturalacceptance of censorship in Saudi Arabia and no perceptible public pressureon the government to change its policies in this regard. However, it is important to recognizethat the literature on Internet use, government policy, and technology inthe states of the Persian Gulf in general and in Saudi Arabia in particularis extremely limited. Mackey (199 ) noted that in the Kingdom, control over mass media(including the contemporary Internet) has been exerted by government.Censorship in the kingdom falls into four areas: perceived attacks onIslam, violations of the Wahabbi's moral standards, direct or impliedcriticism of Saudi Arabia, and political commentary on the House of Saud.Magazines from the West are often censored, with portions eliminated fromnews articles, advertisements are either cut out or painted over, certainnews stories are suppressed, and the omnipotence of Saudi rulers andleaders reinforced. The high cost of Internet connections which can range up to US $6. Media will also be understood as inclusive of icons,symbols, color, and other verbal or nonverbal cues or elements that aredefining of the culture in which the media itself originates. This inturn makes it difficult and costly for many potential Internet users,including students and university faculty, to achieve high levels ofconnectivity. In Kuwait, students at Kuwait University have free Internet accounts and the Ministry of Communications has permitted licensing of a second ISP in order to improve Internet service and to lower prices. An entiregeneration of younger Saudis studying in the West have become extremelycomfortable with IT and, as importantly, reliant upon the Internet inpursuing their studies. (2 ). Oil revenues and some subsidies fromworld powers wishing to influence the political orientation of the newstate facilitated its survival and in relatively short order enormouseconomic advantages based on the oil industry brought Saudi Arabia tointernational power and influence. 3. (2 ). Arabic online catalog. (2 ). S. 4. H., & Kozar, K. Language is one barrier, but it is perhaps more significantthat IT purchasing by Saudi universities has been relatively limited untilthe recent past. Additionally, as Burkhart and Goodman (1998) have noted, concernsabout what information and communication via the Internet may do tonational, cultural, and religious values permeate public discussionconcerning Internet connectivity in the region. A 'pan' Arab virtual think tank:" Enrichingthe Arab information environment. Religiousconservatives continue to call for the maintenance of this and other bans,but a decided minority of the Saudi middle and upper classes have rejectedthis particular set of views. Burkhart and Goodman (1999) contend that driving the expansion ofInternet connectivity and use in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the MiddleEast are fears that a failure to connectwill result in a declining quality of education and other activitiesincluding medical services, commercial and financial activities, andprofessionalism. In many instances, Western influencesin the form of media, culture, fashion, art, and customs have been viewedas potentially corrupting and as antithetical to the fundamental nature ofan Islamic society and culture (Mackey, 199 ). These critical dimensions of culture serve to highlight some of theconflicts that have occurred as "new media" in general and the Internet inparticular have become more readily accessible to Saudi Arabians in theirhomeland. New York: Signet. Albrecht, K. Sandra Mackey (199 ) has pointed out that Western media aredisliked by many in Saudi Arabia, particularly the monarchy and theextensive royal family. and had about 9 , users as of 1998. However, in the wake of the oil boom and enhanced contact betweenSaudi Arabia and the West, there are some signs that these traditions areundergoing a degree of change. In Jordan, Internet use is widespread in both the public and private sectors, and serves as a basic element in the technological infrastructure of higher educational institutions. TheOIC covers a wide spectrum of geography, demography, and economic well-being. By January1995, Kuwait had modest and Iran fairly minimal connectivity. Ambah, F. AsShetty (2 ) noted, the Kingdom has all the ingredients needed for anInternet society with an estimated 2.2 million Internet subscribers by2 4, reflecting a penetration of 8.5 percent in the country. The ultimate arbiter on what is permissiblewill be the Interior Ministry. (2 ). RESEARCH PROPOSAL: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, HIGHER EDUCATION & THE STUDENT OF SAUDI ARABIA IN THE 21ST CENTURY The Study's Objective The objective of the proposed study is to identify the needs andpriorities in higher education in Saudi Arabia with respect to the use ofthe Internet as a fundamental component in the educational system. In late 1993, of the roughly 15, nets then comprising the globalInternet, the OIC was 42, with 29 located in Turkey and Indonesia alone.Among the OIC, countries that have been the slowest to join the world'sInternet community have been the nations of the Persian Gulf. (1989). International Journal of Instructional Media, 27(1), pp.51-56. Albrecht (1996) says thatin Saudi Arabia, where Internet access is limited, residents typically dialout of the country to Dubai or Bahrain to access the Internet, with much ofthe Internet content that is accessed by Saudis originates in Jordan, whereInternet activity is less censored and more innovative.The Kingdom, Higher Education, and the Internet Hudson (2 ) has stated that IT is perhaps the most critical key todevelopment in the age of globalization and notes that IT has been lessreadily adopted throughout the Arab world and in Saudi Arabia in particularthan it has been elsewhere in the world. The proposed research will consist of a case study analysis of thestrategies that have been employed in countriescontiguous to or neighboring Saudi Arabia to determine how other Arabnations have responded to the Internet and to the need of universityfaculty and students to have enhanced access to this forward-lookingcommunication and data transmission-storage medium. Middle Eastern Studies, 3 (3), 632-646. Al-Sharhan (2 ) maintains that in Saudi Arabia, the potential ofsatellite and Internet communications for educational purposes have yet tobe fully addressed. Mackey (199 ) contends that after an initial Saudi- controlledtelevision channel had been introduced into the country by King Faisal in1965, many Saudis began to encounter carefully mass media broadcasts thatfocused almost entirely on Saudi Arabian culture in an effort to reinforcestrict Wahhabi social norms. Burkhart andGoodman (1998) have identified the following general elements of Internetconnectivity in these countries: 1. The issues discussed above have been particularly exacerbated by theadvent of the Internet and related technologies. However, theadvent of various "information technologies (IT)" and the emergence of theInternet as both a means of communication and a learning tool have createda need in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the field of higher education. A shortage of technical support for developing and maintaining a nationwide or region-wide Internet presence that is specific to the needs, language, and cultural concerns of states in the Middle East. More significantly, the Prince is working withcompanies like Cisco, Oracle, and Sun Enterprise to create Arab-languageWeb sites, digital libraries, and similarIT services or systems. Elmusa, S. Culture is understood as "the blueprint forliving of a group whose members share a territory and language, feelresponsible for each other, and call themselves by the same name (Hess,Markson, & Stein, 1989). The research would shedlight on changing attitudes towards the Internet in the region and in termsof higher education as well. 3) A deficit in technical support available to establish, maintain, and upgrade Internet systems in the university environment. Home VCR viewing amongadolescents in rural Saudi Arabia. (1998). Saudi Arabia: A Case Study in Development.London: Kegan Paul. G. An intruder in the kingdom: Saudi officialstry to police taboo subjects on the Internet. Other efforts are underway in Saudi Arabia to eliminate the barriersto enhanced Internet technology use in higher education throughout theKingdom. The drive toward the expansion of the Internet in Saudi Arabia isbeing led by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, a member ofthe Saudi royal family. International: A fly in the Web. Zahiruddin, K. Nehme, M. These problems are integral to theslow progress of Saudi Arabian institutions of higher education withrespect toInternet utilization. Al-Oofy, A., & McDaniel, D. The purpose of the study is to examine ways in which the Internet canbe employed in the Kingdom to support higher education and, assignificantly, to increase the educational quality of Saudi Arabia and itsstudents in the new millennium. Middle EastQuarterly, 7 (3), 41-49. Thesetheorists view this as a basic necessity in upgrading higher educationfacilities and fostering improved learning outcomes in Saudi Arabia andelsewhere in the Middle East. Journal ofBroadcasting and Electronic Media, 42 (3), 297-314. This study proposes a case analysis to explore the ways in whichselected countries in the Persian Gulf region have reconciled the ITrevolution and the Internet with other concerns such as the following:fears of the proliferation of culturally or religiously unacceptablematerials, questions of cost and access, issues related to technologyinfrastructure, language, software programming, and overarching politicalconcerns. London: Croom Helm. In order to filter out materialsconsidered undesirable (and particularly to filter out pornography), thegovernment created a funnel through which all international Web sites muchbe channeled. Saudis. (1999). Sociology is defined as "the study of human behavior, group life, andof societies" (Hess, Markson, & Stein, 1989). Every student will have aniBook and Internet access. A. Given the perceived importance of the Internetwithin academia, these concerns may well be responsible for encouragingnational governments to invest, either privately or through publicspending, in Internet improvements. 2. Burkhart and Goodman(1998) state that over a relatively short period of time, the number ofcountries with Internet connectivity has increased from approximately ahalf dozen to over 17 . These nine petrochemically endowed countries range from Bahrain andQatar (each with about 6 , people) to the much larger Iran (7 million), Iraq (21 million), and Saudi Arabia (2 million). Thus, sociology involves thestudy of social structure, which itself describes the ways in which values,beliefs, attitudes, and rules for behavior are patterned to producerelatively predictable social relationships. S. (1999). The UAE, for example, wasthe first Persian Gulf country to open a public discussion about thenegative aspects of the Internet. (1982). Tarbush, S. Mackey, S. (1992). Despite these difficulties, Tarbush (2 ) has pointed out that underits program of "Saudiisation," the Saudi government has been quietlypromoting the study of IT and the development of IT capabilities among itsworkforce. Theutilization of direct satellite broadcasting in Saudi Arabia. Business Week, 3438, 4 . Nevertheless, says Hudson (2 ),IT offers vast potential benefits for Saudis because of its capacity notonly for generating knowledge, but also for distributing it and harnessingit for a variety of development objectives. Media herein will be understood asembracing television, film, music, and multimedia computer programs as wellas the Internet. (2 ). A studyconducted by Yamani and described by Tarbush (2 ) revealed that Saudisbetween the ages of 15 and 3 regard Internet access as a necessity inorder to become competitive in a globalizing economy where access toinformation is a critical determinant of individual success. Nevertheless, The Economist("International," 1998)claims that this system can easily be circumvented by using internationaltelephone calls to link a Saudi computer to a server outside the country.Also, materials can be printed in other locations and then shipped or faxedusers in Saudi Arabia.This being the case, it has become increasingly important for Saudiuniversities and other institutions of higher learning to become moreproactive in developing the basic infrastructure and software systemsneeded to make the Internet available to students in the Kingdom. E., and Goodman, S. This is needed toexchange the information and the resources that are available in the othercountries via advanced education network. Cultural variability reflects the variety ofcustoms, beliefs, and artifacts devised by humans to meet universal needs,while cultural homogeneity refers to a society whose members are similar inrace, religion, norms, values, appearances, language, and culture itself(Hess, Markson, & Stein, 1989). Allcountries but Iraq are now connected to the Internet, but connectivity andaccess policies vary widely from state to state in the region. The Middle East Journal, 54 (3), 362-375. Abdul-Gadar and Kozar (1995) suggested that as Saudistudents return to Saudi Arabia from Western university programs, demandfor expanded IT educational systems will invariably increase. (1996). per hour. Growth rates for the number of hosts and usershave been around 1 percent annually for over a decade. Winds of change. The lack of Arabic Web sites and/or content in the Arabic language. What has occurred in Saudi Arabia in a brief period of time isnothing less than dramatic modernization and increasing contact andinteraction with the Western world. They found that a mix oftechnological, political, economic, cultural, and religious forces havegiven rise to a number of strong motivations to adopt direct satellitebroadcasting in spite of a ban on satellite receiver ownership. In many instances, Internet users in thisarea have found it necessary to use ISP services accessed via long distancetelephone calls to other countries with less restrictive policies. (1995). The King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology, an institute inRiyadh, has had a system in place that will prevent Internet users fromviewing prohibited Web sites. Marghalani, Palmgreen, and Boyd (1998) also investigated the use ofsatellite television in Saudi Arabia. These younger Saudis are likely to be the locus ofchange efforts, which will be forthcoming in the next several years. King Faisal and the Modernizationof Saudi Arabia. Serwer, A. With a land area ofover two million square kilometers and a population of some 16 million, Al-Sharhan (2 ) argues that Saudi Arabia and its educational ministry shouldconsider the adoption of expanded use of IT and satellite technologythroughout its educational system. References Abdul-Gader, A. Saudi development plans between capitalist andIslamic values. In the case of Saudi Arabia, core cultural, historical, and religiousvalues impact upon acceptance of new technologies. In this context, Peled (2 ) has pointed out that throughout theMiddle East, enthusiasm for the potentials of the Internet in both thecommercial/financial and educational environment is growing rapidly. (199 ). E. 2) A shortage of Arabic Web sites and materials in Arabic, compounded by the English language weaknesses of many computer users. According to MichaelNehme (1999), Islam as a religious and normative system serves as the basisfor Saudi Arabian culture and belief systems. Tech is king: Now meet the Prince.Fortune, 14 (11), 1 4-118. The Economist ("International," 1998) has stated that after asubstantial period of delay, the Saudi government announced in 1998 that itwould expand Internet access while maintaining control over its content.The Saudi government decided as the Internet was being developed thatunfettered access to foreign Web sites could have the potential ofintroducing a torrent of religious and political debate, not all of whichwould be welcomed by the regime. Arabic online catalogs backed by Arabic languagematerials presented a software problem related to the input, sort, anddisplay forms of the Arabic language.
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