We all agree that the development of Information Technology (IT) has permanently changed the world we are living in.
 
Nowadays, we all expect instant communication and prompt answers to our questions. Consumers want to; purchase without the need to leave their houses, have access to their bank accounts wherever they are, have share and trade offers available in their pockets, contact their families and friends and directly exchange photos, organize their travel plans in the space of a few minutes and use the internet for both educational  and entertainment purposes. Trade and governmental institutions also have their own needs and are amongst the main beneficiaries of IT.
 
The challenge facing the different countries of the world, specifically
 Arab countries in West Asia and particularly Arab countries in general, are to transfer their economies in order to benefit from the massive development in IT. The digital infrastructure of communications has become a cornerstone for national development and the existence or non-existence of such an infrastructure determines whether a country will be categorized as an IT rich or poor country.
 
Till now, the ever-growing information revolution has been restricted to the higher-educated groups of countries that possess the knowledge and tremendous resources at their disposal. Those technological countries have set out, to a large extent, the priorities of the information revolution according to their own views and goals. Accordingly, they have started to influence the countries that lack economic, political and educational resources, which are required in order to contribute to the information revolution. This influence might have had its bad and good effects; however, there is no doubt that it had an effect on ethical and cultural values.
 
Arab governments, trade and business leaders as well as citizens can no longer be naïve when it comes to IT; besides, they cannot be ignorant to the radical changes that result from the application of this technology; information and communications technology (ICT) is no longer a leisure, but rather a persistent need.
 
Call for Action
 
The Arab Knowledge Management Society (AKMS) would like to benefit as a representative in this group, and would like to suggest an action plan in order to start an Arab initiative to achieve a knowledge economy. Thus, the Society recommends cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) to develop a coordinative council to implement the Arab initiative in order to achieve a knowledge economy.
 
AKMS has undertaken responsibility for this initiative because it is the only means to run researches about administrative practices in the Arab world, and increase awareness and implement modern administration principles among its members and participating institutions. AKMS is a Class "A" member in the sub-committee responsible for developing quality system standards, ISO/TCI76/SC2. TC176 is the technical committee in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) responsible for quality management and quality assurance. In addition, a representative from the AKMS was selected in the sub-committee in charge of developing quality systems and standardization to participate in the technical committee WG18.
 
In its capacity, the AKMS is qualified to participate and contribute in the functions of the coordinative council.
 
The action plan implies that the coordinative council will give advice for the purpose of assistance on the following points:
 
- Establishing an Arab network for the exchange of information whereby all Arab communities can participate in exchanging information and ideas to achieve progress in their intellect and expand their capacity to comprehend the latest technical developments.
- Establishing consulting firms that are associated with international groups to provide consulting services in a number of fields including economic, financial, medical, industrial and commercial fields.
- Establishing solutions companies as extensions to the consulting firms to provide solutions for cases that require immediate attention.
 
Available Opportunities:
 
The development of an Arab ICT infrastructure will result in several advantages that have been untapped in the past. Besides the obvious advantage of economic integration, trade and educational development as well as the regional infrastructure of information will provide Arab countries with numerous low-cost opportunities to disseminate Arab culture, news as well as information related to entertainment and programming which will in turn help in confronting the flow of information coming from the industrial west. There is a pressing need for setting policies that explore the future and represent Arab culture and ambitions.
 
Exploiting those opportunities requires from decision-makers in the Arab world to take quick actions towards creating a suitable environment for the development of an "information society" specific to the Arab world. And it is hoped that the proposed coordinative council will provide the necessary direction and advice wherever appropriate. What is required is a regional and not an international means to develop an Arab information society since an international means will definitely fail due to its lacking of experiences related  to the Arab world.
 
The Arab information society, upon its establishment, will accomplish the following:
 
- Giving its members access to technological information, so as to benefit from them.
- Providing decision-makers with the suitable supported information systems.
- Enabling business institutions and the (Arab) population in general to enjoy using information and knowledge if they make reasonable choices.
- Making the flow of information available for the purpose of communication and exchange to all parts of the world.
 
Goals:
 
Following are the goals hoped to be achieved:
 
- Assuring the continuous flow of information and telecommunications in the Arab and the rest of the world.
- Establishing an ICT network among Arab countries that would provide reliable communication with others in the Arab world and abroad at a low cost.
- Achieving the maximum use of information by encouraging the development of systems that would allow for its dissemination on a wide scale amongst individuals, business institutions, non-governmental organizations and the public sector.
 - Increasing the number of networks and improving communication within all sectors of Arab society.
- Creating a new generation of young Arab individuals trained in ICT in order for them to contribute in developing their countries.
- Facilitating the introduction of new technologies and importing intellectual products.
 
Steps to Be Taken:
 
 
The objective behind developing a western initiative to achieve a knowledge economy requires development in four major fields:
 
1. Human Resources
2. Information Sources
3. Administrative and Institutional Systems
4. Technical Resources
 
Each component will be discussed in addition to the recommendations to improve and develop each one of them.
 
1. Human Resources:
 
Intellectual capital is the main determining factor and the base for economic and social development to any country; thus, the Arab world requires investment in developing its human resources in order to provide businesses, governments and professional leaders with the necessary IT knowledge to make decisions on that basis.
 
There is a need for the emergence of a new kind of management and workforce that enjoys technical skills, whereby skillful individuals will be asked to adapt, build and exploit the new technologies and manage the change.
 
To develop the required human resources, Arab leaders in both educational and training fields are requested to spread awareness about the changes in IT and introduce special IT educational programs to their students, as well as provide professional development and training sessions to the working force.
 
Arab students, in their elementary educational phases, should acknowledge the new ICT phenomenon. The Jordanian government’s recent move to provide all schools with computer devices and its request that each elementary pupil learn how to use a computer are two things which deserve appreciation. Such an initiative should be an example for other countries to adopt, and requires the availability of a sufficient number of trained IT teachers in order for them to be able to transfer this knowledge. In addition to training, there is an urgent need to develop computer programs for the use of Arab students and businesspeople.
 
There should also be programs that offer continuous professional teaching in the field of IT for the Arab working force as well as individuals working in different economic sectors like the medical, airline, tourism, trade and governmental services sectors.
 
Moreover, education should be developed and long-distance conference should be held to spread knowledge and information to the largest possible section of the population in an effective and efficient way.
 
The AKMS is ready to undertake its role in providing ICT training to its members and others interested in taking part in the world of technology.
 
2. Information Sources:
 
Developing information sources is something of a unique issue to the Arab world and is important for the affectivity of the knowledge society. Thus, Arab institutions are urged to develop rules that consist of a group of information to be made available to interested parties, researchers and scientists. Businesspeople should be able to obtain all different types of statistical information to guide them in their daily planning and the running of their institutions. Moreover, demographic statistics are just as important to governments and business institutions as they are to us.
 
In order to develop the necessary databases, it is essential to define the information and basic aspects for the application of ICT which holds the greatest effect on the social and economic development on each of the regional, national and Arab levels. Information in these fields should be continuously updated and put in certain formulas that would provide the possibility of accessing and retrieving such information.
 
Developing Arab sources of information will provide the Arab countries with the following:
 
- The creation of a well of information specific to Arab countries and motivation for Arab consumers to utilize that information.
- Exporting information and actively participating in the special aspects of information related to world economy.
- Facilitating access to special information in the Arab world for researchers and scientists.
- Improving the level of cultural heritage in music, literature and art in the Arab world.
 
3. Institutional and Administrative Systems:
 
It is difficult to achieve an Arab initiative for a knowledge economy without improving the administrative and institutional systems on both the regional and national levels. It is necessary to address all the legal and organizational practices in the Arab world which stand in the way of improving national information services and connecting to international information channels, and more specifically the kind of practices that hinder establishment and usage of the internet and other value-added services.
 
Among the factors that stand in the way of an Arab initiative to achieve an economy based on knowledge are environmental, financial and organizational factors of businesses.
 
It is noticeable in the Arab world that the cost of telecommunication services, taxes and importation fees have increased, and all these factors combined, hinder the process of ICT adoption. Technology tools are far more expensive in the Arab world than they are in the West, and therefore what is required is more equality. Add to that, tax systems do not provide discounts or incentives to newly established IT businesses
 
From the organizational aspect, the prevention of private telecommunications networks and the difficulty in accessing public networks makes it hard for private institutions to make primary contributions in the development of IT.  In addition, Arab governments do not make it easy for  business institutions to obtain the necessary licenses to access methods of transfer for international telecommunication. Traditionally, telecommunication networks are seen as a government field under national security.
 
Too often do businesses decline to pave the way for investments in technology; add to that the fact that Arab capital is not developed enough to fund these projects. In addition, there is a financial deficit when it comes to funding projects that aim to provide the necessary capital required for the set up of IT firms. The lack of appropriate human resources, awareness of it and training in it, are all main factors behind the hindrance of adopting IT.
 
 4. Technical Resources:
 
Effective ICT systems require technical resources that are reliable, low-cost and widespread such as computers and computer programs, along with all the other various aspects of the telecommunications infrastructure necessary to handle data and information.
 
Developing such support systems in order to develop an Arab initiative for the achievement of a knowledge economy requires profound changes in the available technological resources, and it will be necessary to enhance the level and development of the infrastructure as well as the financial network at both the national and regional levels to provide outlets to international telecommunication networks.
 
Arab countries are urged to increase the possibility of having access to telecommunication networks and services as well as the infrastructure to information to a large extent and to a more specific one outside their main cities. To achieve this, Arab governments are required to undertake the following steps:  
 
- Establishing telecommunication systems via satellite
- Insuring reciprocal national and international connection and the activation of telecommunication networks
- Building reliable networks that can access the international infrastructure of information.
- Building solid technologies in order to face their increasing use
- Providing simple data devices to individuals that lack knowledge in computers
- Developing on demand broadband telecommunication services channels and data transmission facilities that are on demand for the application of methods at a low-cost.
- Establishing telecommunication systems in public places and portable systems to make information infrastructure available to the public.
- Utilizing the data systems in order to extend information to areas that have no suitable information infrastructure at a low-cost.
- Setting a number of clear measures and standards according to which any national initiative for an ICT project will be evaluated.
 
Aspects of Responsibility:
 
Defining the necessary steps to develop an Arab information society is not enough, and many parties should play a major role to make this goal achievable. Thus, all Arab governments, the private sector, mass media, and other organizations are urged to take on certain responsibilities to materialize the Arab initiative of achieving a knowledge economy.
 
Arab governments should play a major role in addition to the duties and responsibilities mentioned earlier. They are urged to eliminate all the obstacles facing businesses to allow for the private sector a leadership role, and rapidly do so. They are all urged to liberate trade and improve intellectual property laws, investment, establishing institutions and setting out procedures to insure and encourage creativity and providing capital for projects and technology trade. Governments should be role models of leadership and improve the utilization of ICT in all the governmental departments in order to improve the efficiency of governmental services and motivate ICT industries.
 
Governments are fully and uniquely equipped to carry out communication and participate with countries and other international organizations to insure a coordinated and cohesive technology development that meets technology on both the international and national levels.
 
The final analysis indicates that businesspeople in the private sector are bearing the risk of investment in ICT. Thus, the private sector is urged to define opportunities and provide capital for them. In addition, financial institutions in the private sector should contribute in funding the necessary investment, and it is important to build a group of businesspeople to offer a base to develop the Arab initiative in order to achieve a knowledge economy.
 
Non-governmental organizations and a group of consumer groups and laborers can play an important role in supervision and support; thus, consumer groups should express their interest and needs to help in defining priorities and scrutinizing the situation when the need arises.
 
The media, on the other hand, should respond and contribute in a responsible manner in developing an information society; besides, contributing to the dissemination of information, it also plays a crucial role in spreading awareness regarding the significance and advantages of the information revolution since newspapers, radio and television are easy and cheap means for transferring information, and hence has the responsibility of extending the information to all segments of society.
 
Conclusion:
 
The mission of transforming Arab countries to information societies seems dim; thus, Arab governments, private sector and educational institutions should unify their efforts towards achieving this goal. In this respect, the AKMS is ready to work with international organizations like the ESCWA, UNICTAD, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and World Trade Organization (WTO) as a catalyst in such a process. The question is no longer "why?" it is "when?"