DAMMAM: Student hackers, robots and international visitors came together for Saudi Arabia’s first ever Digital Transformation Forum for the Non-Profit Sector in Dammam.
Eastern Province Deputy Gov. Prince Saud bin Bandar inaugurated the event, which began in Dhahran Expo center on Oct, 23.
With a robot greeting guests as they entered the vast exhibition space, the two-day event was packed full of innovative ideas in the non-profit sector.
The forum featured 31 individual booths, showcasing the digital achievements of various local and Kingdom-wide organizations.
The event’s agenda included about a dozen workshops, six panels, and eight advisory labs, with over 50 speakers in total and hundreds of networking sessions.
At the back of the space were 11 teams ready to take part in the digital hackathon activation, which required them to solve a problem or issue plaguing the non-profit sector.
The winners of the top three hackathon teams were set to receive cash prizes totaling SR100,000 ($26,664).
The event was organized by local Ertiqa Association, in collaboration with the Council of Civil Societies and strategic partners such as the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the National Center for the Development of the Non-Profit Sector.
A warm welcome from a digital friend. AN
CEO of Ertiqa Omar Al-Shaibani and Ali Al-Humimeidy – a representative of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology – gave Public Affairs Officer at the US Consulate Dhahran, Caroline Platt, a tour of the space.
“Attending this groundbreaking forum in the Kingdom provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen the consulate’s relationships with local NGOs and key stakeholders in the digital transformation space, such as Ertiqa,” Platt told Arab News.
The official held discussions with leaders from the nonprofit sector, including the Civil Society Council, Hewar Corner and Awqaf, as well as with the students participating in the hackathon.
“I was truly impressed by the organization and professionalism displayed throughout the event. Our visit underscores our commitment to innovation and collaboration, aligning our objectives with local initiatives and identifying potential partnership opportunities to enhance our support in the region,” Platt added.
Arab News also spoke to the head of projects and leader of the volunteers at Ertiqa, Shaima Al-Anazi, about the non-profit’s decade-long initiative that has turned it into one of the shining success stories out of the region, and one of the main organizers of the event.
“We are at the forefront of the initiatives from Al-Fozan for community service, a specialized charity that focuses on refurbishing computers,” she told Arab News.
“This association is dedicated to collecting old devices from individuals, government entities and private companies across the Kingdom,” she added.
Over the last decade, 88,928 computers have been jolted back to life, along with 62,875 printers and scanners, via their pilot program.
Customers can send their unwanted devices into the organization’s Dammam office, and Ertiqa also collaborates with local electronics shop eXtra to help support them in the refurbishment process.
If found usable, the devices are wiped clean using a globally-recognized software called Blancco, then redistributed to charity and educational organizations.
The devices that they find to be faulty during inspection go through a different process where the raw materials are extracted and are then safely deposited.
“It protects the environment from electronic waste and carbon emissions,” Al-Anazi added.
“We believe that technology is a key factor in the success of organizations and we want to increase awareness in the non-profit sector—as we are one of the leading organizations in this field,” she said.
