Nearly $7 billion’s worth of electronics hardware was exported from India to the Middle East in 2008-2009, a massive rise of over 100% from the previous reporting period. $1.5 billion’s worth of software and services in the ICT industry made their way to the Middle East as well in this same period from India, and the ever-rising figures are good news for those investing in the Indian economy.

On the other hand, more established, developed countries are making greater inroads to the Middle Eastern economy. LG Electronics, a stalwart of the South Korean electronics industry, have made it their target to take advantage of the region and its population with “rich oil money” along with the more low-end African market.

In a global economy where times are hard in many traditional markets, opening up new markets in places like Africa and the Middle East is proving to be a wise move for most companies.

The thing which makes this new institution different from any other university is the setting – in the middle of the desert, a sprawling mini-metropolis designed to enhance the lives of students and staff. Oh and one other thing – the country’s usually strict segregation and religious laws concerning women have been loosened to keep everyone on-task at the best of their abilities. This means women will be allowed to drive on-campus, sit in the same lectures as male students and socialise together. However, it is expected that the strict laws governing alcohol consumption and bans on the presence of males inside the female accommodations will remain.

It is hoped that with the $1.5 billions worth of equipment at the site, including one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, Saudi Arabia will be able to source revenue through research in key areas and end its reliance on oil exports. Whether this works or not remains to be seen, though.

Netgear are behind this new broadband router, cashing in on the nearly 50 million internet users in the region. The idea is to allow users to view streaming content in full screen on their TV screens from a variety of sources. Web video sites such as YouTube should be catered for, along with broadcasts from European and American markets. The device connects directly to the television set and provides functionality to search for and view content available on the internet, whilst also providing a method to view locally-stored content accessibly via a flash drive.

With the popularity of internet streaming video reaching ever higher levels, this device is well placed to take advantage of the burgeoning market and consumer demand. Netgear estimates that the market will reach a total of 1 million users by 2011, and hopes that this figure will turn out to be conservative due to the increasing numbers of users being hooked up to broadband connections in the Middle East.