The General Director of the National Center for e-learning and Distance Learning, Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Megren has hold media meeting at the headquarter of the National Center last Saturday. It aimed to highlight the First International Conference on e-learning and distance learning to be held under the theme: “Creating Learning for the Future”. This conference is organized by the National Center for e-learning and Distance Learning under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques during the period from 16 to 18 - 3 - 2009 in Al-Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh.

    Al-Megren  has clarified that this conference is the first of its kind in the region. It is held during a crucial stage of increasing prevalence of the technology role in our daily live, that makes using the technology in the developmental, educational purposes is inevitable. It also aims to involve the creating of e-learning in higher education institutions and to identify the modern trends in the basics of training and its applications in e-learning. Al-Megren has cleared that the mission of the conference is to invest the creating of new technology affecting the development of content and means of education in addition to explore new experiences and raise the level of community awareness.

    He also pointed out that the conference concerns many topics, including Contemporary international variables and their impact on E-learning and distance learning, the E-learning and distance learning environment in the era of globalization and knowledge-based economy and The processes of teaching, learning and designing of electronic curricula.

   Al-Megren  has revealed that more than 2150 registers have registered in the conference. They are from 50 countries around the world like Canada, Malaysia, India, Iran, Australia, United States and several  Arab and Gulf countries.

   Al-Megren  said that the conference guests and speakers are from countries which have more experiences in this area like Malaysia, Korea, Scotland, Belgium, United States and Britain. He  pointed out that the objective of involving them is to provide the opportunities to benefit from international expertise. They will be involved in the next conferences with the local expertise.

   The General Director of the National Center for e-learning and Distance Learning has pointed out that the Kingdome of Saudi Arabia needs to empower and develops the means of communications to cope the development in the cities in order to cope the populations of these cities with the technology and spreading of e-learning. He has mentioned the significant role which is done by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology representing in the Communication and Information Technology Commission to develop this matter.

   The General Supervisor of the Public Relations and Media in the Ministry of Higher Education, Dr. Mohammed Al-Hezan and Dr. Abdullah Al-Twaim have participated in this meeting.