JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia's Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) has embarked on a unique project to help developers build mobile applications and software that support Arabic content, the company announced on Monday. Mobily said the project aims to enrich cyberspace with Arabic content. The program, dubbed “Mobily Developers Forum,” is set to encourage young, tech-savvy men and women to unleash their talents and develop quality apps with valuable content for smartphones such as Apple's iPhone, BlackBerry devices, Google's Android, and other phones with Windows Mobile and Symbian operating systems. Mobily promised outstanding developers generous incentives. Mobily says the MDF would be like a club for Arabian software talent where members can get their hands on all the resources they might need to create innovative mobile apps. Mobily invited all professional and hobbyist developers, as well as software companies, to take part in the project. The starting point is a website Mobily had set up specifically for the project, which can be found at http://developers.mobily.com.sa Mobily will post the best applications under its own page at Apple Store, and will take on the task of publicizing developers' apps to encourage them to produce the best apps. Mobily said the project is part of its responsibility to provide the best possible opportunities to software developers by providing valuable services and sponsorships to distinguished projects. Khalid Bin Omar Al Kaf, Mobily's CEO, said that the MDF is the cornerstone toward building the world's largest Arabic content and app website. He added that the move is in line with the company's strategy, which he himself had announced months ago, that aims to enrich the lives of the company's customers and maintain its leadership in services and applications. He said that the MDF would support young men and women by providing hobbyists with extra income, in addition to offering members many other perks from Mobily to encourage them and refine their abilities, all toward the purpose of providing innovative, valuable services to mobile users A few months ago, Mobily was the first Arab mobile operator to launch an iPhone app designed specifically for customers to view their phone bills, transfer credit and locate the company's outlets all over the Kingdom, among many other services.
