Shaqra University in Saudi Arabia has announced that it has selected market leader in enterprise application software SAP to implement its ERP and Student Lifecycle Management (SLCM) solutions to maintain operational excellence and ensure best practice across its 23 colleges.
The investment in technology comes at a time when IT spending in Saudi Arabia’s public sector is predicted to grow from around US$ 1.6 billion in 2009 to US$ 2.4 billion in 2013, according to Springboard Research, a leading innovator in the IT Market Research industry. In addition, the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) outlined how the country has recently initiated a complete overhaul of its educational system at a cost of US$3.1 billion to meet the high demand for high-quality education.
Shaqra University was established by a royal decree in 2009 and works to prepare the next generation of highly skilled professionals to work in Saudi Arabia and across the region by providing the best quality training to meet the requirements of the currently booming market and with the aim of enriching scientific research and development of postgraduate studies.
“Technology provides a fundamental platform for the continued growth and development of Saudi Arabia. Across our colleges the IT solutions provided by SAP will ensure that we provide the most efficient services to both staff and students ensuring transparency, streamlined operations, and best-in-class facilities,” said H.E. Dr. Saeed Almallah, Rector of Shaqra University.
“As a leading educational institute in the Kingdom our vision, in addition to providing the highest quality teaching to our students, is to stay up-to-date with the latest market trends and technology. In order to achieve this we have selected SAP’s business solutions that enable functionality to support teaching, learning, and business processes, and enable us to improve financial management, maintain operational excellence, improve productivity, and ensure best-practice,” said Dr. Saleh Al-Saleem – Dean of Admission and Registration and IT General Supervisor, Shaqra University.
The SAP ERP and SLCM software solutions include a host of horizontal solutions, such as finance and human resources, as well as modules from the core ERP solution, such as quality management and admissions. SAP business solutions assist enterprises and governments globally to improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration, create efficiencies across supply chains and business operations, and improve access to information. SAP solution portfolios support the unique business processes of industries including utilities, high technology, financial services, healthcare, education, and public services.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is recognized globally for its rapidly developing and thriving knowledge economy, and we are delighted to be working with Shaqra University to provide the solutions to enable the institution to generate a base of highly-skilled workers capable of supporting the infrastructure of this expanding economy. We are building our strength in the very important field of higher education and our mission is to become a key enabler for the growth of the Saudi Economy,” commented Abdul-Raheem Bawazeer, managing director, SAP KSA.
Kinonah Information Technology and Consulting Services, headquartered in Riyadh, will be the implementation partner for the project, selected based on the company’s strong expertise in IT projects across both government and education sectors.
In addition, Shaqra University will become the sixth educational institute in the Kingdom to become a member of the SAP University Alliance program, joining King Saud University, Jubail Industrial College, Yanbu Industrial College, King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals, and Dammam College of Technology.The university will join approximately 150,000 students from 1000 tertiary institutions located around the world already learning SAP solutions.
The SAP University Alliance program is a global endeavour that provides university faculty members with the tools and resources necessary to teach students how technology can enable integrated business processes and strategic thinking, giving students the skills to add immediate value to the marketplace.
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