Manama: Qatar is developing a national digitisation plan to preserve its national heritage, according to an IT expert in the region.
"The Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology, ictQATAR, is developing the digitisation plan to preserve national heritage and share it with the world," said Hessa Al Jaber, ictQATAR secretary general.
"There is a wealth of information on Qatar's rich history in print, photo and film format that should be digitised. There is also an abundance of valuable documents in Arabic that need to be brought to wider audiences," Al Jaber said.
Al Jaber was quoted by the Qatari daily Gulf Times as saying that digitising these materials would allow them to reach a whole new generation and that they should be made open to the public without restrictions.
Qatar will also soon have a digitally open society, thanks to cooperation between ictQATAR and Internet companies, she said. The move will also promote the creation of original digital content in the Arab world, while protecting the rights of the content creators.
"A digitally open society is key for the country's development and a thriving knowledge economy," she said.
"Openness means collaboration, transparency, sharing and innovation. To this end, I believe digital openness across all sectors is essential to being a global leader of the future. The Arab world has a strong and important voice that must be heard. Embracing a digitally open world will put us at the forefront of innovation and help propel us towards being a knowledge-based economy," she said.
