TeleEducation is especially relevant to Arab countries for various reasons. Considerable proportions of the Arab population live in rural areas and TeleEducation can connect those and serve them. Arab women who are less free to travel seeking education abroad or continue their education as they marry relatively early are also favored by TeleEducation. Also, the prevailing economic problems -especially in oil-poor countries- have been accompanied by increasing rates of illiteracy and higher rates of drop out from school. People who drop out of school or decide not to pursue college education because they have to work and bring money can learn through the flexible TeleEducation, providing that it is at affordable costs.Although rural areas are disadvantaged by bad internet connections, approaches like usinf broadband are being intensively studied in order to facilitate TeleEducation in those areas.
The markedly high rates of increasing internet connectivity recorded in the the Middle East and Africa (where Arab countries are situated) are supportive of the development of online education programs. For instance, Egypt was estimated to have more than 4 million internet users in 2008. It has the highest rate of internet access in oil-poor Arab countries and one of the highest rates of increasing internet connectivity worldwide.
The Syrian Virtual University (SVU) is regarded as the first Arab institution of its kind; it initiated virtual education in the Middle East. It was founded by the Syrian Ministry of Higher Education and was inaugurated on September 2002. Partners of SVU have been selected from well reputed universities in the US and Europe; those offer their own course material, tutoring, services, and internationally-recognized certificates to SVU students. In this way SVU provides its students world-class education in almost all fields as well as accredited certificates. In addition, students obtain a degree that is fully accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education in Syria. Services that SVU offers to students include technical support, internet access, counseling, academic advising, and others. Plans of SVU contain designing their own courses and establishing their full programs, cooperate with Arab and international partners; those would be of similar standards to the SVU partners' degree but at more affordable costs. They also plan to make most of the courses taught in Arabic to be more relevant to the target population.
Jordan Electronic Academy (JeA) is another example of e-learning institutes in the Arab region. JeA is a joint institution between Kuwait's Technology World Company (TWC), Jordan's Al Balqaa Apllied University (BAU), and Jordan's Association for Military Retirees (AMR). JeA is accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education of Jordan and provides online courses to students of BAU and other universities in Jordan as well as life long learning certificate programs to working adults in both the public and private sectors in Jordan.
The Syrian Virtual University (SVU) is regarded as the first Arab institution of its kind; it initiated virtual education in the Middle East. It was founded by the Syrian Ministry of Higher Education and was inaugurated on September 2002. Partners of SVU have been selected from well reputed universities in the US and Europe; those offer their own course material, tutoring, services, and internationally-recognized certificates to SVU students. In this way SVU provides its students world-class education in almost all fields as well as accredited certificates. In addition, students obtain a degree that is fully accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education in Syria. Services that SVU offers to students include technical support, internet access, counseling, academic advising, and others. Plans of SVU contain designing their own courses and establishing their full programs, cooperate with Arab and international partners; those would be of similar standards to the SVU partners' degree but at more affordable costs. They also plan to make most of the courses taught in Arabic to be more relevant to the target population.
Jordan Electronic Academy (JeA) is another example of e-learning institutes in the Arab region. JeA is a joint institution between Kuwait's Technology World Company (TWC), Jordan's Al Balqaa Apllied University (BAU), and Jordan's Association for Military Retirees (AMR). JeA is accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education of Jordan and provides online courses to students of BAU and other universities in Jordan as well as life long learning certificate programs to working adults in both the public and private sectors in Jordan.In addition to SVU and JeA, other Arab countries have started online universities or e-lea
rning centers. Those include Al Ahliyya Amman University (AAU), Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), King Khaled University (KKU), and JSS Academy based in Dubai Knowledge Village.
Most of these institutes -if not all- use UKS or Universal Knowledge
Solutions. UKS is believed to be the leading learnig solutions enabler in the Middle East. UKS' skilful specialists, strategic partnerships, and specialized education and technological providers supply schools, higher 
ducation institutes, government and corporate sectors with uncompromised products and services. They provide customers with flexible and cost-effective learning solutions to facilitate the smooth flow of the learning process for the learners.
rning centers. Those include Al Ahliyya Amman University (AAU), Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), King Khaled University (KKU), and JSS Academy based in Dubai Knowledge Village.Most of these institutes -if not all- use UKS or Universal Knowledge
Solutions. UKS is believed to be the leading learnig solutions enabler in the Middle East. UKS' skilful specialists, strategic partnerships, and specialized education and technological providers supply schools, higher 
ducation institutes, government and corporate sectors with uncompromised products and services. They provide customers with flexible and cost-effective learning solutions to facilitate the smooth flow of the learning process for the learners. In Egypt, the Ministry of Education has launched the NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa Development) e-schools programme in an inceasing number of governorates. The project is a joint project between the Egyptian Government, HP Consortium, ORACLE Consortium and NEPAD e-Africa Commission. Egypt is the sixth country to launch this project after Uganda, Ghana, Lesotho, Kenya, and Rwanda. There are also other TeleEducation projects being put to work in Egypt.
References:
Jordan Electronic Academy (JeA). July 6 2008. http://www.uks.ae/images/casestudy/he/jea_case%20study.pdf
Pambazuka News: Weekly Forum for Social Justice in Africa. March 14 2003. July 6 2008. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/internet/40235
Jordan Electronic Academy (JeA). July 6 2008. http://www.uks.ae/images/casestudy/he/jea_case%20study.pdf
Pambazuka News: Weekly Forum for Social Justice in Africa. March 14 2003. July 6 2008. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/internet/40235
Radsch, Courtney, C. "Blogging in Egypt". 2008. July 6 2008. http://www.resetdoc.org/EN/Radsch-blogging.php
Syrian Virtual University (SVU). 2003. July 6 2008. http://www.svuonline.org/sy/eng/about/mission.asp
UKS. 2007. July 6 2008. http://www.uks.ae/partners-clients-HE.htm
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