The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia currently holds the biggest share of the Middle East region's rapidly developing IT market. Analysts have predicted that the Kingdom's IT segment will be valued at $3.6 billion by the end of 2009 and is expected to grow to $4.9 billion by 2013. To help sustain this growth, the Kingdom has been focusing on enhancing the IT competency of nationals and encouraging their participation in digital proficiency accreditation programs. ICDL Saudi Arabia, the governing body and certification authority of the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) program in the Kingdom, complements this strategy by aiming to establish a fully integrated digital society in the country. To achieve this, ICDL has implemented a multi-pronged approach that has led to a series of agreements with several private sector organizations and different government departments like the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to make ICDL certification a mandatory requirement for their staff. A key target segment for the move to enhance IT literacy is Saudi Arabia's current crop of university students. Introducing digital proficiency courses into today's college curriculum allows students to learn more about modern technology and help improve their prospects in the labor market. One of the many educational institutions to heed ICDL Saudi Arabia's call is King Saud University (KSU), which has recently adopted the ICDL standard as a benchmark of digital literacy for its first year university students and the other educational entities under its wing. Under the terms of their agreement with ICDL KSA, King Saud University has revealed that the preparatory year will serve as training and testing period for students to acquire the ICDL certificate, which is recognized locally and internationally. Acquiring the certificate gives Saudi students the added advantage of improving their prospects in the global job market once they graduate from the university. Dr. Sulaiman Al-Dhalaan, managing director, ICDL Saudi Arabia, said “KSU's move to include the ICDL certification program in its curriculum marks a significant step in our efforts to promote IT literacy in the Kingdom. Adopting the ICDL standard not only provides students with a certificate that recognizes their computer knowledge and abilities but also opens their doors to better career opportunities in the future.” Reflecting the success of the program and the positive response generated from its students, the KSU's Center of Computer and Hobbies, in cooperation with ICDL Saudi Arabia, has subsidized up to around 50 percent of the total cost of examinations for ICDL's seven modules. The university has also established an Approved ICDL Training and Testing Center for visually impaired students, which is operated by fully qualified staff and administrators. Among other educational institutions in the Kingdom that adopted the ICDL standard are Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahman University - the first university for girls in Saudi Arabia, Taibah University and the University of Tabuk. With over 24 universities spread across the Kingdom, ICDL Saudi Arabia is positively looking toward the goal of having all academic institutions adopt and implement the ICDL program. “Working toward the goal of bringing the ICDL standard to the Kingdom's 24 universities is a challenging task, but we are up to it and ready to take on the challenge. ICDL Saudi Arabia has already started to map out various initiatives that aim to promote the importance of establishing a digital society and the advantages that come along with it. We also have full confidence in the ability of universities and educational institutions to help us in the promotion and cultivation of digital awareness among the youth and ultimately accelerate the digital transformation of the Kingdom,” Al-Dhalaan said. ICDL is an integrated digital literacy program recognized worldwide. The program empowers individuals with the essential skills and knowledge of computers and practical use of common desktop applications. The program is based on a recognized global standard acknowledged through testing and proves that the certificate holder has fundamental skills in IT, using the computer and managing files, word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, and information and communication (Internet and e-mail). ICDL is endorsed by education ministries, universities and government organizations and is accredited by more than 168 countries and available in more than 40 languages.
