1. 19.09.2012 Page 1© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Salem Al-Agtash, Ph.D. ASREN/ German Jordanian University - Jordan Ankabut Users Meeting – Al Ain, 19.9.2012 alagtash@ASRENOrg.net Future prospective Regional Connectivity in the Arab Region

2. 19.09.2012 Page 2© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Purpose of keynote  Understanding challenges of Research and Education (R&E)  Understanding the current status of Arab e- Infrastructures  Generic overview of some key technical and operational requirements for a regional connectivity  Intended to seek consensus on the next steps to be taken towards developing Arab regional connectivity – future prospects

3. 19.09.2012 Page 3© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Outline  Highlights of Education and Research in the region  Some facts, research growth and collaboration  Why R&E networks are important  Joining global development for advanced facilities and resources  Status of Arab ICT infrastructure and connectivity  Resources and facilities  ASREN/ EUMEDCONNECT  Towards developing regional connectivity  Other important supporting projects  Prospective (I, II) for a future regional connectivity

4. 19.09.2012 Page 4© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates  Arab youth is estimated at about 200 million  About 1000 Arab institutions hosting 20 million students (9M in universities)  10% are enrolled in postgraduate studies (8% master, 2% doctorate)  80% of the undergraduate students are enrolled in humanities 20% science Highlights

5. 19.09.2012 Page 5© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates  0.8% international students to Arab universities  53% of out-going students at the postgraduate level (doctorate)  Average regional spending 5% of global spending, compared to 60% in industrialized countries  Government expenditure on research and development is 0.2-0.5% of total GDP, compared to 3-5% in industrialized countries …….

6. 19.09.2012 Page 6© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Research growth: Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan  Turkey produces ~ half of the region’s research output  Iran produces ~ one- quarter  Egypt slightly less than one-eighth  Saudi Arabia/ Jordan ~ half as much as Egypt

7. 19.09.2012 Page 7© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Research growth: UAE, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen  United Arab Emirates has the highest annual publicatio ns in 2009 with a steep progressi on

8. 19.09.2012 Page 8© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Focus of Research  Fields of research ranked by % of global share for 2005-09  Engineerin g is the greatest world share  Agricultural sciences comes next, then clinical medicine and chemistry

9. 19.09.2012 Page 9© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Research collaboration  Jordan (43%) has the highest percentag e of national output with internation al co- authors  Egypt (39%)  Saudi Arabia (38%)

10. 19.09.2012 Page 10© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Implications  Regional research currently lags significantly  A regional network of collaboration is unrealized  Research portfolio in the region is dynamic and is showing a growing volume of excellence  With increasing research growth, there is a potential for more scientific activities  Resources are enormous and potential for achievement and innovation is vast.  Development of human capital and enhanced research infrastructure are critical to enabling a further growth

11. 19.09.2012 Page 11© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Why research networks?  Research is increasingly becoming computationally intensive and dependent on fast communication networks  Research has become dependent on community efforts and international collaborations to solve most pressing problems and issues  Research has become digitally dependent, for access, sharing, collaboration SO:  N/R – REN need to develop in a new context “not just networks any more”  Globalized platform, driver of community innovation, market aggregator, source of knowledge creation and economic development, transformational vehicle, and political stabilizer

12. 19.09.2012 Page 12© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Why regional R&E is important? Current situation - NO regional connectivity Jordan University United Arab Emirates University JUNET Ankabut Arab region Internet US or EU Internet US or EU Regional communication passes by International (high cost) links No Community Building Regional communication passes by International (high cost) links No Community Building

13. 19.09.2012 Page 13© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Jordan University United Arab Emirates University ASREN/EU MED The Arab region Internet USA or EU Internet USA or EU Internet Provider High Quality Universitie s in Europe/ USA JUNE T Anka but Regional communication stays regional (low cost, high bandwidth, better Performance/Price) Connectivity to R&E sites in EU/USA is Direct, Dedicated, HQ Economy of Scale and Strong Community Building Regional communication stays regional (low cost, high bandwidth, better Performance/Price) Connectivity to R&E sites in EU/USA is Direct, Dedicated, HQ Economy of Scale and Strong Community Building Scenario - Research with regional connectivity

14. 19.09.2012 Page 14© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates 14 The Global Network Global R&E connectivity

15. 19.09.2012 Page 15© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates e-Infrastructure at «world» scale 15 >340 sites in 57 countries ~337,000 CPU cores >220 million GB of storage ~1 million jobs/day ~20,000 users in ~280 VOs Available resources

16. 19.09.2012 Page 16© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Access paradigm Scientific resources..... Linking at the speed of the light Sharing computers, software and instruments Sharing and federating scientific data

17. 19.09.2012 Page 17© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Status in the Arab region

18. 19.09.2012 Page 18© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates  Available CPU cores ~ 220 with limited cores per site, compared to 337,000 CPU cores available for access worldwide  Middleware support in Alegria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and UAE – gLITE

19. 19.09.2012 Page 19© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates  EUMEDCONNECT, 2004 --> [1], [2], [3]  PAN Arab Network, 2005  Rome Declaration 2006 - CAMREN  NAP, the Network Access Points 2007  ASREN, 2010  EUMED - Brussels, March  League of Arab States – Cairo, Dec.  ASREN GmbH - Dusseldorf, June 2011  Abu-Ghazaleh & Consulting GmbH  Jordan University Network  Moroccan CNRST  Sudan REN  Somal REN Arab States Research and Education Network

20. 19.09.2012 Page 20© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates The EUMEDCONNECT  R&E network project 2004 -2014 (3 phases), 14M Euro of EC funding  The only regional R&E Network in the Arab Region  NRENs in Algeria (ARN), Egypt (EUN), Tunisia (CCK), Jordan (JUNET), Morocco (MARWAN), Palestine (PALNET) and Syria (HIAST) were connected to its European counterpart GÉANT  Served more than 2 million users in around 700 institutions

21. 19.09.2012 Page 21© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates An Internetwork for the Arab World  ASREN/EUMEDCONNECT helps to build research communities to tackle regional most pressing problems and issues, examples: Water managemen t and sustainable farming Thalassemia Access to educati on in remote areas Preserva tion of cultural heritage Desertificati on

22. 19.09.2012 Page 22© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates  The EUMEDGRID Support Project  Coordination and Harmonization of Advanced e-Infrastructures  Exchange Programme to advance e-Infrastructure Know-How Other Supporting Projects funded by EC

23. 19.09.2012 Page 23© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates  Globalization of Grid Infrastructures EUMEDGrid Support (www.eumedgrid.eu) Network Infrastructure e-Science Collaborations Grid Infrastructure

24. 19.09.2012 Page 24© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates  EUME D countri es and operati ng sites

25. 19.09.2012 Page 25© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates  Hosting the Africa & Arabia Regional Operation Centre  Support of Users and Site Administrators  Same tools of EGI  Set up in collaboration with SAGrid, EUMEDGRID- Support, CHAIN, EPIKH. …

26. 19.09.2012 Page 26© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates The CHAIN project (www.chain-project.eu)  Largest e- Infrastru cture related knowled ge base.  Informati on available for about half of the countries of the world.

27. 19.09.2012 Page 27© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates  RREN(s)  NREN  NGI  CA(s)  Id.Fed(s)  ROC(s)  Grid site(s)  Applicatio n(s)  Science gateways

28. 19.09.2012 Page 28© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Exchange Programme to advance e- Infrastructure Know-How” (EPIKH) Building e- Infrastructures is a waste if we don’t “build”, at the same time, their users. The EPIKH Project (www.epikh.eu)

29. 19.09.2012 Page 29© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates The EUMEDCONNECT3  A new phase EUMEDCONNECT3 runs 2011 – 2014  Co-ordinating Partners: DANTE and ASREN  Opportunity to extend the network to other Arab countries “A first step towards a Pan-Arab network for research and education”

30. 19.09.2012 Page 30© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Ankab ut Prospective I: Interconnecting Arab States National R&E Networks  Regional connectivity of Arab NREN’s towards a better future growth and prosperity  Initial interconnectivity model Internet ASREN DANTE/ London Géant Internet2 Palestin e PALEN Other NREN Algeri a - ARN Morocc o CNRS

31. 19.09.2012 Page 31© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates RCN/ JADI cable systems

32. 19.09.2012 Page 32© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates SEA-ME-WE 4 cable system

33. 19.09.2012 Page 33© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates  With activation of various affordable cable systems (e.g. RDC, JADI, TGN-Gulf, IMEWE, SMW-4, etc. )  Capacity prices would fall, then  More and more Arab NREN’s will connect with each other and become a hub between continents  Governments enforce low Tariffs and subsidize for the Last mile connection to local NRENs Hopes

34. 19.09.2012 Page 34© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Prospective II: Interconnecting Regional RENs Internet Géant, Internet2 and RENs worldwide Ubunt uNet WACR EN ASRE N

35. 19.09.2012 Page 35© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates A logical topology  Could be cost efficient to rest on two or three regional hubs  Fujairah Smarthub could be emerging as an aggregation of important R&E landings

36. 19.09.2012 Page 36© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Summary Increasing interest in building regional Arab R&E network as globalization of e- Infrastructure became inevitable – Strength Lack of physical connection and no regional network of collaboration - Weakness Continuing of EC funding on regional efforts for e-Infrastructure and a growing excellence of Arab research portfolio - Opportunity Lack of vision and motivation at the regional policy level – Threat

37. 19.09.2012 Page 37© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Conclusion JUNET, MARWAN, SUDREN – Current ASREN shareholders All 22 Arab “existing+TOexist” Arab NRENs to become ASREN “Shareholders” Developed ASREN backbone with the support of the private sector Become consolidated in the globalized REN platform

38. 19.09.2012 Page 38© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates ASRENOrg.net

39. 19.09.2012 Page 39© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates “It is very difficult to say what is impossible for yesterday's impossibility is today’s hope and tomorrow’s reality” Rocket Engineer: Robert Goddard

40. 19.09.2012 Page 40© 2012 ASREN, GmbH, All Rights ReservedAnkabut Users meeting- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates Inter-University cooperation confirms the original vocation of universities as meeting places between different cultures; as means of technological advancement and economic development; and as institutions open to dialogue and to comparison between different ethnics, religious and social identities Principles of the 1995 Barcelona Declaration Cooperation and collaboration – important elements