http://www.techweb.com/wire/180205741

By K.C. Jones, TechWeb News

Intel and American Near East Refugee Aid plan to break ground on a
Gaza Intel Information Technology Center of Excellence within two
months.
Representatives of both organizations confirmed plans for the
groundbreaking during interviews Tuesday. The center, planned for
the Islamic University of Gaza, will be the fourth of its kind in
the Middle East and is part of broader and separate Intel and ANERA
Middle East initiatives.

ANERA formed 37 years ago to provide job, health, education and
emergency war relief opportunities in the West Bank, Gaza and
Lebanon. The nonprofit group partnered with Intel to open a similar
center at Al Quds University in Jerusalem in 2004. Since then, more
than 1,000 men and women have trained there.

The latest center will be the first of its kind in Gaza and should
be completed by next year, according to representatives from ANERA
and Intel. A Gaza pilot program, established in 1999 raised the
number of residents trained in Java, Oracle and Microsoft from seven
to 66. Now, several of those who completed the pilot program are
teaching others.

The push to train Gaza residents in everything from computer use to
managing networks aims to alleviate a 33 percent unemployment rate
among the 1.3 million people living in Gaza, ANERA's Director of
Communications Adrian Loucks said during an interview Tuesday.

Loucks said that most of the trainees were unemployed and 50 percent
of those without jobs acquired them after the training. Most cited
their certification under the pilot program as the reason for their
success, according to ANERA. The center will be staffed by
Palestinians.

"It's going to create jobs internally, whereas a lot of employment
previously, a lot of the laborers, had relied on Israel," Loucks
said.

For Intel's part, the $1 million center is a portion of a larger
strategy. Intel's Digital Transformation Initiative for the Middle
East has set aside $50 million in capital funds, established
scholarships and backed training in countries throughout the region.
The semiconductor company's program reaches Turkey, Egypt, North
Africa, Jordan and beyond. The main goals are to encourage
entrepreneurship, education, digital accessibility and technical
competencies.

Spokesman Chuck Mulloy said the company is trying to gain leverage
through new and existing programs, while facilitating dialogue and
coordination between different groups.