Information Society in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example

Since the numbers must be absorbed into the system, public expenditures on education are continually rising to unsustainable levels. The challenge of financing is increasingly being felt, negatively impacting knowledge transfer.

The second factor affecting the transfer of knowledge is culture. Most Middle Eastern countries have very conservative cultural norms. This is especially evident in the role of women. Women are generally perceived to be less capable in leadership positions, family priorities, etc. Although the trends are gradually changing, a father in Saudi Arabia has the impression that he is better placed to educate his son than his daughter. This implies that there are generally fewer girls than boys in schools; the reasons for this are purely cultural. Consequently, society remains less educated inhibiting the flow of knowledge.

The third factor is political instability. Saudi Arabia as a country has not experienced any form of political turmoil in recent years. However, Yemen, Iran, and Syria are all countries that have experienced political unrest in one form or another. This affects neighbors of such countries; Saudi Arabia being one of them. This civil unrest in the aforementioned countries may spread to Saudi, because it, like those countries, is headed by a monarchy – a contributive factor for the unrest sweeping across Arab countries in recent times. This unrest affects all sectors of the country’s landscape, part of which education and information are.

Western countries have been major drivers of technology, a factor that continues to revolutionize the acquisition and dissemination of information. However, the Middle East has continued to display anti-Western tendencies. Iraq has been investing in nuclear power plants, an effort that does not sit well with the West and the world in general while Iran openly expresses ‘hate’ for the United States. This means that Middle Eastern countries are less likely to receive support, financial or otherwise, should they need it. Lack of good relations affects trade too. There is reduced trade between countries with polarized relations as those that exist between the United States and most Middle Eastern countries. With trade comes the exchange of ideas, some of which have to do with information and technology.

Lastly, there has recently risen concern over health issues of people living in the Middle East – specifically obesity. Saudi Arabia is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the Middle East. People from different cultural backgrounds from all over the world regularly visit Saudi and take with them their cultures – food being one. Fast food restaurants have come to cater to this market. This means that people and the government in general are looking to spend more on the health sector rather than on information resources. Read More