National Program for Free and Open Source Technologies · 2013-11-11 · 12National Program for Free and Open Source Technologies 2013 Related Challenges in Saudi Arabia Low Market

National Program for Free and Open Source Technologies 20131

National Program for Free and Open Source

Technologies

Saudi Arabia

Presenter: Abdulrahman Alarifi


IntroductionMotah program is one of the programs of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technologies

Encourage and promote the use of open source software (OSS), within the Saudi community.


Main ObjectivesUnderstand the status of OSS in the Kingdom , obstacles and opportunitiesRaise OSS awareness in public and private sectorsEnhance OSS solutions that are of interest to Saudi communitySupport government agencies to migrate to OSSDevelop national strategic plan and policy to support OSS in the Kingdom


●Understand the status of OSS in the Kingdom

More that two third of the Saudi Community are not aware of FOSS technologies!

15%11%

74%

FOSS Penetration in the Kingdom

FOSS User

Aware but FOSS user

Not Aware

27%

21%17%

12%

23%

Awareness of Saudi government FOSS promotion initiatives

Strongly Agree

Somewhat Agree

Neither Agree not Disagree

Somewhat Disagree

Strongly Disagree

"don't know" responses excluded


Primary reason for current use of FOSS


Means of learning to use FOSS


Means of obtaining FOSS


IT/non-IT professionals by user category


Industry sector by user category


Usage of FOSS within the past year


Awa r

enes

s of s

p eci

fic F

OSS

pr o

duct

s am

o ng

n on-

use r

sAwareness of specific FOSS

products among non-

users


Related Challenges in Saudi Arabia

Low Market Awarenesswe need more awareness events and activities, workshops, lectures, simenars summer camps, etc

Lack of FOSS Skills and Formalized Training Opportunities

needs to conduct more training, this include inhouse training and internships


Related Challenges in Saudi Arabia – Cont

Limited Technical SupportIT companies should provide FOSS technical support

Resistance to Changeenlighten more the decesion makers and top management

Limited Localization of FOSSinitiate more localization projects


Activities to enhance the FOSS Adoption in Saudi Arabic

Short Term More awareness events: Lectures, Workshops, Seminars, ... etc

Workshops

Training sessions

Success Stories

Motah award

Lectures

Participations

Grad. project support

Interset groups

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Motah Awareness Events

Frequency

Act

iviti

es


Suggestions to enhance the FOSS Adoption in the Arabic Region – Cont.

National FOSS Strategy Government to adopt FOSS solutions Several pilot projects Development of interested FOSS software Joining the global community in enhance

FOSS solutions

Long Term


Current Development Activities

Working to develop the core of the FOSS ecosystem in Saudi Arabia which includes:

Operating System: based on Linux distributionLocalize Office suite: LibreOffice


SUSE RedHatOracle

Canonical ALTA

AssignedAentos

SILKACSTLanedo

FunkyCollabora

CodeThinkTata

BobicielLinagora

Nou & Off Munich

Apache VolunteerIntelIBM

CodeWeavers

.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0

Top lines changed by employer

No. of Lines Changed

So

urc

e o

f C

ha

ng

e


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Contributors to LibreOfficeTata

SUSE

SIL

RedHat

Oracle

Nou & Off

Nou & Off

Munich

Linagora

Lanedo

Lanedo

KACST

Intel

IBM

Funky

Collabora

CodeWeavers

CodeThink

Canonical

Bobiciel

Assigned

Apache Volunteer

ALTA

Aentos

KACST


Documents

National Program for Free and Open Source Technologies · 2013-11-11 · 12National Program for Free and Open Source Technologies 2013 Related Challenges in Saudi Arabia Low Market