School: Dhahran Ahliyya Schools
    Dammam, Eastern, Saudi Arabia

24 students, ages 12-13 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 22, 2010. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2010

Classes and Teachers: Mrs. Sayed and Mrs. Shaikh

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.das.sch.sa

1. Description of Our Community

Saudi Arabia is a land of peace and love. When greetings are exchanged it is appropriate for the person who arrives first to say, in Arabic, 'Peace be upon you,' to which the reply is, 'And peace be upon you too.' Saudi Arabia is usually known by the presence of the two holy cities- Makkah and Madina. The people of Saudi Arabia are mostly Arabs of Bedouin origin and follow Islam. The minority comprises of other Arabs from Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and people from Pakistan and India. Saudi Arabia is basically known for its oil resources and the natural fruit- dates that grows in abundance here. The people of Saudi Arabia are religious and they believe in only one God and Muhammad as the messenger of God. The people are great hosts and they honor their guests with all their heart. When saying goodbye, you say in Arabic, 'In the custody of God,' the reply being 'In the custody of the Generous One.'

2. Summary of Our Project

Our country, Saudi Arabia conjures up a mental picture of camels and sand dunes. Through our project we have attempted to go beyond this image help the world see the true heritage and culture of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia boasts of not only rich traditions but also a rich history and natural beauty. People of Saudi Arabia have preserved their customs which give the nation a unique identity. Some of the natural resources are a source of immense wealth to the nation, be it oil wells, dates or the greatest symbols of Islam- the two holy mosques- Masjid Al Haram and Masjid Al Nabawi. We will talk about the history and the life of people of Saudi Arabia and we would like to invite people from all over the world to come to Saudi Arabia and be our guests.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:2-3

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

We had easy access to the internet provided in the classrooms and the computer labs. We did most of our research in school and edited our essays at home.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Some of the resources we found were in Arabic and it was time consuming for us to translate the required information into English. Our Arabic teachers and mothers helped us.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

As citizens of a global community, we feel privileged to participate in the International Schools Cyberfair. It gave us the golden opportunity to break misconceptions and showcase our country's true identity.

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

Our school follows the Delaware Department of Education (USA) Standards. Our project covered all the 4 Standards of English language. Standard 1 which deals with the use of written and oral English. Standard 2 that deals with the viewing, listening and reading of literary texts. Standard 3 deals with analyzing and evaluating texts. Standard 4 deals with use of literary knowledge and connection to society and culture. These standards are also aligned with standards of the Saudi Ministry of Education Standards. This project helped us gain practical knowledge, and get a deep insight into our own culture and lifestyle.

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

Most of the time we used our school's computer lab where we had access to tablet pc's. We also used our internal telephone system to contact the technology department and other departments who helped us with our project. We used the scanners, digital cameras, video cameras and cell phones (blackberries) to communicate and add pictures and videos to our project. Some of our community members (parents, businessmen, teachers, senior citizens) were kind enough to give their time and support. They enhanced our project by adding their valuable words and rich experiences all through interviews and field trips. Our library department extended their full cooperation by arranging and lending the required books, magazines, CDs and video cassettes for our project. Aramco library (community library)also gave us their support by arranging the needed books for us.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

Here’s some valuable response from our participants and their families – 'When I told my dad about this wonderful project he was as excited as me. He thought that this was a unique opportunity for us to portray our true image to the world.'- Mizna Dina-My uncle's words- 'Saudi Arabia has so much to show to the world. Let the world see our true spirit. We are glad that Cyber Fair has given us this chance.Thank you' 'All our friends and relatives were thrilled by this project. We all know that a lot of people don't really know about the real image of Saudi Arabia.' A teacher- 'Through this project we got an opportunity to show the world how proud we are to display our culture and traditions.' One of our topics is Hajj which is an annual pilgrimage to Makkah that every Muslim must try to accomplish once in his/her lifetime. One of the teacher recounted her experience - 'It was an incredible experience. In modern times, this is a perfect example of UNITY, BROTHERHOOD and PEACE; here, people from all over the world, belonging to different nations and ethnicities come together with a COMMON BELIEF to UNITE to spread global peace'. We, the participants of Cyberfair 2010 project, felt this perfectly illustrates the theme of Cyberfair 2010-Believe and Unite!

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

We are sure that our project will strengthen our relations not only with our own community but also with the entire world. People of our community are very excited about this project. It is a rare opportunity for us. They have offered a lot of help to make this project sail smoothly. Some business people helped us with trips to show their products.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

Our families supported us all the way, encouraging us at every step, sharing useful information. Our grandparents shared valuable experiences and anecdotes that made our research process even more interesting and memorable.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

Working together as a group of 24 called for a lot of cooperative skills on our part. We learnt to listen attentively to each other, to respect other's viewpoints, encourage each other, and give informative feedback. This experience also honed our social skills since we were required to interact with members of our community on a regular basis.