Regional Connectivity in the Arab Region

1. Regional Connectivity in the Arab Region Salem Al-Agtash, Ph.D. ASREN/ German Jordanian University - Jordan Ankabut Users Meeting – Al Ain, 19.9.2012 alagtash@ASRENOrg.net Future prospective

2. Purpose of keynote • Understanding challenges of Research and Education (R&E) • Understanding the current status of Arab e-Infrastructures • Generic overview of some key technical and operational requirements for a regional connectivity • Intended to seek consensus on the next steps to be taken towards developing Arab regional connectivity – future prospects

3. Outline • Highlights of Education and Research in the region • Some facts, research growth and collaboration • Why R&E networks are important • Joining global development for advanced facilities and resources • Status of Arab ICT infrastructure and connectivity • Resources and facilities • ASREN/ EUMEDCONNECT • Towards developing regional connectivity • Other important supporting projects • Prospective (I, II) for a future regional connectivity

4. Highlights • Arab youth is estimated at about 200 million • About 1000 Arab institutions hosting 20 million students (9M in universities) • 10% are enrolled in postgraduate studies (8% master, 2% doctorate) • 80% of the undergraduate students are enrolled in humanities 20% science

5. ……. • 0.8% international students to Arab universities • 53% of out-going students at the postgraduate level (doctorate) • Average regional spending 5% of global spending, compared to 60% in industrialized countries • Government expenditure on research and development is 0.2-0.5% of total GDP, compared to 3-5% in industrialized countries

6. Research growth: Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan • Turkey produces ~ half of the region’s research output • Iran produces ~ one-quarter • Egypt slightly less than one-eighth • Saudi Arabia/ Jordan ~ half as much as Egypt

7. Research growth: UAE, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen • United Arab Emirates has the highest annual publications in 2009 with a steep progression

8. Focus of Research • Fields of research ranked by % of global share for 2005-09 • Engineering is the greatest world share • Agricultural sciences comes next, then clinical medicine and chemistry

9. Research collaboration • Jordan (43%) has the highest percentage of national output with international co-authors • Egypt (39%) • Saudi Arabia (38%)

10. Implications • Regional research currently lags significantly • A regional network of collaboration is unrealized • Research portfolio in the region is dynamic and is showing a growing volume of excellence • With increasing research growth, there is a potential for more scientific activities • Resources are enormous and potential for achievement and innovation is vast. • Development of human capital and enhanced research infrastructure are critical to enabling a further growth

11. Why research networks? • Research is increasingly becoming computationally intensive and dependent on fast communication networks • Research has become dependent on community efforts and international collaborations to solve most pressing problems and issues • Research has become digitally dependent, for access, sharing, collaboration • SO: • N/R – REN need to develop in a new context “not just networks any more” • Globalized platform, driver of community innovation, market aggregator, source of knowledge creation and economic development, transformational vehicle, and political stabilizer

12. Why regional R&E is important? Current situation - NO regional connectivity Internet US or EU JUNET Ankabut Regional communication passes by International (high cost) links No Community Building Jordan University United Arab Emirates University Arab region

13. Scenario - Research with regional connectivity Internet USA or EU Universities in Europe/ USA High Quality Internet Provider Regional communication stays regional (low cost, high bandwidth, better Performance/Price) Connectivity to R&E sites in EU/USA is Direct, Dedicated, HQ Economy of Scale and Strong Community Building ASREN/EUMED JUNET Ankabut Jordan University United Arab Emirates University The Arab region

14. Global R&E connectivity The Global Network

15. Available resources >340 sites in 57 countries ~337,000 CPU cores >220 million GB of storage ~1 million jobs/day ~20,000 users in ~280 VOs e-Infrastructure at «world» scale

16. physics community biomedics community astronomy community Sharing and federating scientific data Sharing computers, software and instruments Linking at the speed of the light . . . . . Scientific resources Access paradigm

17. Status in the Arab region

18. Available CPU cores ~ 220 with limited cores per site, compared to 337,000 CPU cores available for access worldwide • Middleware support in Alegria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and UAE – gLITE

19. Arab States Research and Education Network • EUMEDCONNECT, 2004 --> [1], [2], [3] • PAN Arab Network, 2005 • Rome Declaration 2006 - CAMREN • NAP, the Network Access Points 2007 • ASREN, 2010 • EUMED - Brussels, March • League of Arab States – Cairo, Dec. • ASREN GmbH - Dusseldorf, June 2011 • Abu-Ghazaleh & Consulting GmbH • Jordan University Network • Moroccan CNRST • Sudan REN • Somal REN

20. The EUMEDCONNECT • R&E network project 2004 -2014 (3 phases), 14M Euro of EC funding • The only regional R&E Network in the Arab Region • NRENs in Algeria (ARN), Egypt (EUN), Tunisia (CCK), Jordan (JUNET), Morocco (MARWAN), Palestine (PALNET) and Syria (HIAST) were connected to its European counterpart GÉANT • Served more than 2 million users in around 700 institutions

21. An Internetwork for the Arab World • ASREN/EUMEDCONNECT helps to build research communities to tackle regional most pressing problems and issues, examples: Water management and sustainable farming Desertification Thalassemia Preservation of cultural heritage Access to education in remote areas

22. Other Supporting Projects funded by EC • The EUMEDGRID Support Project • Coordination and Harmonization of Advanced e-Infrastructures • Exchange Programme to advance e-Infrastructure Know-How

23. e-Science Collaborations Grid Infrastructure Network Infrastructure EUMEDGrid Support (www.eumedgrid.eu) • Globalization of Grid Infrastructures

24. EUMED countries and operating sites

25. Hosting the Africa & Arabia Regional Operation Centre • Support of Users and Site Administrators • Same tools of EGI • Set up in collaboration with SAGrid, EUMEDGRID-Support, CHAIN, EPIKH. …

26. The CHAIN project(www.chain-project.eu) • Largest e-Infrastructure related knowledge base. • Information available for about half of the countries of the world.

27. RREN(s) • NREN • NGI • CA(s) • Id.Fed(s) • ROC(s) • Grid site(s) • Application(s) • Science gateways

28. The EPIKH Project (www.epikh.eu) Exchange Programme to advance e-Infrastructure Know-How” (EPIKH) Building e-Infrastructures is a waste if we don’t “build”, at the same time, their users.

29. The EUMEDCONNECT3 • A new phase EUMEDCONNECT3 runs 2011 – 2014 • Co-ordinating Partners: DANTE and ASREN • Opportunity to extend the network to other Arab countries • “A first step towards a Pan-Arab network for research and education”

30. Prospective I: Interconnecting Arab States National R&E Networks • Regional connectivity of Arab NREN’s towards a better future growth and prosperity • Initial interconnectivity model Internet Géant Internet2 Other NREN ASRENDANTE/ London Palestine PALEN Ankabut Morocco CNRS Algeria - ARN

31. RCN/ JADI cable systems

32. SEA-ME-WE 4 cable system

33. With activation of various affordable cable systems (e.g. RDC, JADI, TGN-Gulf, IMEWE, SMW-4, etc. ) Capacity prices would fall, then More and more Arab NREN’s will connect with each other and become a hub between continents Governments enforce low Tariffs and subsidize for the Last mile connection to local NRENs Hopes

34. Géant, Internet2 and RENs worldwide Prospective II: Interconnecting Regional RENs Internet ASREN WACREN UbuntuNet

35. A logical topology • Could be cost efficient to rest on two or three regional hubs • Fujairah Smarthub could be emerging as an aggregation of important R&E landings

36. Summary • Increasing interest in building regional Arab R&E network as globalization of e-Infrastructure became inevitable – Strength • Lack of physical connection and no regional network of collaboration - Weakness • Continuing of EC funding on regional efforts for e-Infrastructure and a growing excellence of Arab research portfolio - Opportunity • Lack of vision and motivation at the regional policy level – Threat

37. Conclusion • JUNET, MARWAN, SUDREN – Current ASREN shareholders • All 22 Arab “existing+TOexist” Arab NRENs to become ASREN “Shareholders” • Developed ASREN backbone with the support of the private sector • Become consolidated in the globalized REN platform

38. ASRENOrg.net

39. “It is very difficult to say what is impossible for yesterday's impossibility is today’s hope and tomorrow’s reality” • Rocket Engineer: Robert Goddard

40. Cooperation and collaboration – important elements Inter-University cooperation confirms the original vocation of universities as meeting places between different cultures; as means of technological advancement and economic development; and as institutions open to dialogue and to comparison between different ethnics, religious and social identities Principles of the 1995 Barcelona Declaration