The past few years have witnessed remarkable developments in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the effects of which are felt in every aspect of life. Due to these developments, the concept of information society is becoming a reality. Different countries are now competing to transform into information societies that rely on information technology more than relying on conventional industries to develop their economies. The implication of this, is the appearance of new concepts and mainstream applications covering a wide range of areas. For example, e-Commerce, e-Government, e-Learning, e-Business and many related concepts are now quite familiar in a number of countries. The Internet and the web have evolved into a huge distributed environment that may be used to build useful applications and services. Furthermore, mobile devices are evolving into full computers that may be used to perform a variety of tasks. Information technology is no longer for elites and specialized people, but a mainstream field involving all sectors of society. As a result computer applications need to be provided in the native language so that ordinary people can easily access and utilize them. These applications should also be supported by information content, search tools and support utilities, all in the native language of the user. Consequently, the pressure on Arabian societies to cope with these challenges is now higher than ever.

In recognition of these facts, King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology (KACST) is organizing the second symposium on Computers and Arabic Language.

The International Symposium on Computers & Arabic Language (ISCAL) will be held at King Faisl auditorium in the Intercontinental Hotel in Riyadh, during the period 10-12  October 2009.

Symposium Objectives

•    Monitoring the latest developments in computers and Arabic language.

•    Providing a forum for interdisciplinary scientific exchange among researchers and scientists.

•    Contributing to scientific research and technology.

•    Providing training courses on the topics of the symposium.