With a simple click, today I can send these documents using the many email services available such as Gmail. Similar to the caution I exercised when choosing a postal service to send my university transcripts back in the day, I made sure to understand how to keep my documents, pictures, and other belongings safe on email. Saudi youth today however are born into this digital world and start using the internet from a very young age. It’s important that they too understand how to keep themselves safe online.
That is why we are in Riyadh today where we launched with our partners at the MiSK and the Saudi Ministry of Education the Kulluna Online program to drive digital awareness and how Saudi youth can use the Internet safely and responsibly.
Students react during the Kulluna Online assembly at the Riyadh Schools
Over the course of the program, Google-trained instructors from MiSK will lead assemblies in all private and public schools in Saudi Arabia for students between grades four and eight. The assemblies will focus on five key practices:
- Thinking before posting something online
- Keeping online belongings safe
- Understanding privacy settings and how to use them
- How to identify online fraud
- Acting positively and responsibly online
Developed and localized by our team here at Google in Dubai, we made sure that the lessons in these assemblies are relevant and engaging for Saudi students. The assemblies will draw from everyday experiences any of the students (aged between 9 and 14) could have gone through, and will also depend on a gamified experience to make sure the lessons are memorable.
L-R: Google Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs and Policy Kent Walker, Saudi Minister of Education Ahmed Al Eissa, MiSk Secretary General Badr bin Mohamed Al Asaker, Deputy Minister of Education Mohamed Attia Alharthi
Google shares the responsibility of equipping young people the skills and confidence they need to navigate the web and get the most out of the internet. We are proud to cooperate with MiSK to spread a culture of digital awareness and look forward to seeing Kulluna Online’’s impact.
Sam Blatteis, Google Head of Government Relations and Public Policy, GCC Countries
