 From Bahrain, it's theCUBE. Covering AWS Public Sector Bahrain. Brought to you by Amazon Web Services. Everyone, welcome to theCUBE here in Bahrain for AWS in the Middle East, AWS Summit. I'm John Furrier of CUBE Coverage. It's cloud computing, new Amazon region, a lot of innovation, but two great guests. We have Huda Amma Mohsen, who's the Chief of Information Technology and the Ministry of Information and Authority. Welcome to theCUBE. And Sumira Mohamed Alatawi, you are the Information and Communication Technology Director at the American University in Bahrain, thank you for coming on. Thank you so much for having me. Great to have you on. The ministries are mandated to move to the cloud, Huda, so we know what's coming for you, 2020. The goal is cloud first here in Bahrain. We've covered this last year. How's that going? On plan? It is a plan and it's a process. We start in November, 2017. We start our journey with clouds. We start moving our load smoothly. We plan it. We face a lot of challenge in the beginning, of course, as all of the ministries, then with help with the IGA, with our governments, we move smoothly. I think now we reach a good position that we can reach our vision, inshallah. Well, it's great that the government in Bahrain has a mandate for all the ministries to move to the cloud. I have to ask you, share with the folks watching, why the move to the cloud? What was the big reason why the cloud first was in place? See, technology is moving fast now and the speed and the security and the availability is very important for us as a ministry, especially for minister of information. That's why we decide and as a government vision, of course, that's why we decide to move the cloud. And a lot of integration from the old way, the new way. What are some of your observations between the two? A lot of changing, a lot of difference because if you need to just to establish any projects in a normal way, how much time you will spend and how much resources you will spend in a cloud you can just imagine, it is with flick. Subair, you're in a new role. Talk about your new role, where you were before. This is not new to you, the cloud. You've had your toe in the water before. You've been playing around with the cloud now at the American University of Bahrain. A lot, a full steam ahead, a lot of pressure. Yes. A lot of need, desire. I think, I think, yes, it is not new for me. I'm in the IT field now for ages, I wouldn't say the years. But then, yes, it's not new, but in Bahrain Polytechnic, we are having the same journey, migrating to the cloud. And it's a new challenge in the American University of Bahrain. It's a new startup, entrepreneur university. But then, the interesting thing that I have joined them like three weeks ago, and now the IT is up and running within two weeks. So, with the help of the cloud and AWS, our server is now all up and running. And this is, by the way, this is our first day in school. So, our students, they're just taking their formal classes as per today. So, this is a very proud moment also for me. And the servers are on the cloud, powering everything? We have Moodle on the cloud at the moment, and we have also Office 365, and we have our ERP system as well. It's all in the cloud. So, within two weeks, that's an amazing story to be told. Versus the old way was months, years? Well, actually, for every institution, there are some challenges and there are some pros and cons. But I think the most beautiful thing about Bahrain Polytechnic, that everybody was working as a team and we understand each other's issues. So, regardless of the time, there have always been a support and faith and trust in IT just to deliver the organization mission and vision. And this is the same with the American University of Bahrain. There is a huge trust and faith that in IT that they will derive the transformation or the change to the future. Ironically, the future is here. Yeah, and the cloud region is beautiful out here. The impact to academic is something that we're going to be watching closely because the training is coming too. We're seeing that in the announcements here around a cloud computing degrees, more skill development, but I have to ask you from a business standpoint in the academic area, what's the main use cases for clouds? The curriculum, is it the operations? What are some of the key cloud areas you're innovating on? Very interesting question. I think we have like a blend of use cases. We have the operational use cases and we have the academic use cases as well. I mean, the most important for us as in the university is the academic. Now, how we can empower our students to face the challenges of the future and the market demand. So we are sensing a lot of interest about the artificial intelligence, robotics, big data. And this morning when I was just scrolling down the menu of AWS, I've been seeing the satellite. So how we can embed this technology or the really material like an AWS educate in our courses in material versus the operational use cases, how we can deliver the business objective in an agile mode and in a most efficient way. You know, like in university, we have so much a critical time that we don't afford losing IT like exams, posting a grades, even for our students a graduation project. It's become easier and easier era for the business. However, with the aid of IT. And the agility is important because the expectation from the students is high. It's way high. I mean, the expectation and the use is already there. So not like before, not like my age, you know, like students, they just get to introduce the technology when they got to the university. Now, all of our students, they already know and use the technology before they join actually. Kuda, talk about the ministry because you guys on the government side very progressive doing new things. You got Amazon's region here, which is going to create a revitalization. You're in the middle of it. What are some of your observations on the things that are going on that are new for you guys that are positive? See in the cloud, maybe as a ministry, as a government project, the most new thing that we get that the new environment, this is totally new environment. So, you know, if you just have any new thing or any new environment, you have resistance from everyone from, because it's a new thing, I mean. So... People fear change. Yes. They don't want change at all. Of course. Even sometimes the change is good, but this is the mentality of people, I mean, to resistance and change. As a government, because we have one vision, which is all the ministry is working and same this vision, we really plan it well, I think, and we do it well. As you say now, Bahrain, the time that they established the cloud, until now you can see how many projects in a process, how many projects already done, I mean. You know, cultural change, we cover this. We go to hundreds of events we cover all around the world, mostly in the United States, but culture is number one. And people always want to push it back against change. However, the benefits that you were pointing out, are undeniable. Two weeks, talking about standing up critical infrastructure for whether it's curriculum or for services for citizens. Exactly, yeah. I mean, it's hard to debate, to justify the old way. It's pretty hard. Maybe some political content in there, but I mean, ultimately the proof is there. That has to be factored in. How do you guys do that? Do you just show people the data? Look at what we did. Is that how you get things through? Is it more cultural? I think we just discussed a panel that's about even, let us talk about, only the part of the financially thing. Before, as an IT, if you want to just make anything, and data center, and any projects, how much time you will spend to bring the devices, to bring the servers, to connect it, to do it? How much time you will spend it? How much time you will spend it, even in the financially procedures? As a government, of course. Nowadays, if you have any problem, or any projects, you just by click, finish it and done. I'm very impressed with Haran. Second year, theCUBE's been here. The things we talked about last year, have been executed. They're executing. The read is up and running. The cryptocurrency lightens is in place. We've covered that just now. We're going to hear about some curriculum for degrees. But last year, you mentioned the panel, you guys were just on the eight of us, we power tech. Last year, Teresa Carlson hosted a big breakfast, and I was lucky enough to attend that. And I actually got kicked out of my seat, because there was so many women that wanted to sit down. I'd happy to give up my seat for that. But it was a packed house. Women in tech is very real and growing. You guys were just on a great panel, talking about this. What was going on in the panel? What was the key topic? Well, actually the key topic is celebrating women in IT. And I think women now, they are flourishing in the IT field. We're showing a lot of power and strength. Also, I think women in nature, we are dealing with a problem solving like in a natural way, as well as team building. So it comes with our genes. And on top of that, the technical power and the technical thinking and the experience in the IT field, of course it adds a lot of confidence when we are presenting our plans. And we see the society is welcoming the women workforce in IT field more and more every day. So I think this is something that we should celebrate and we should put a lot of highlight on it. Knowing that the value of women is really growing. And you were just talking about the time change how things are faster. Things are getting done much faster. So things are accelerating and combined with more job openings, more roles are opening. It's not just coding. It's creative, design, thinking. So you're seeing a surface area of opportunities. Uta, you're seeing this as well in the government. This is a bigger field now. Your thoughts on how you see the panel. Yes, but maybe Samira will have more experience in this area. On the skill gaps question that comes up a lot. There's so many job openings coming. There's a region here. There's entrepreneurs and startups. What are some of the new skills that folks are trying to learn? What do you guys see? Well actually on that coming from an educational field we know that cloud computing is like number one set of skills that is on demand for the coming few years. But again, knowing that it will be as essential as we should not think about it. It just will be transforming as a very catalyst. The way that we're thinking of electricity. At the beginning it was a big deal. Later on it just there and it has to be there. For us to move as a society, for us to move as an economy, then we're moving to the real things. As for example, block chains and we're talking about artificial intelligence. And the technology itself is just not as important unless it has some feed in the economy development or in the society change. So I think this is how we can see it happening. So overall you both think that cloud computing is going to revitalize the area. Definitely, definitely in a big way. I mean the market, the first skill set is looked at in the IT field is how many training, how many certificates have you taken in a cloud computing? On top of that, robotics, big data. But the most important thing, how to make the technology benefit the citizens. In our case, the students. How we can deliver our classes in a better way. How we can transform the business of university from on campus to study from anywhere. Though we have a very amazing campus at American University of Bahrain. Looking forward to covering you guys. Final question for you guys. What's next? What do you guys have coming up on this next year? A lot of activities. What are the goals? What are some of the things you're trying to accomplish? Our next thing that we are planning to to complete all this cloud project to shift all our environment to the cloud and to success in this. And to implement it in a good way that we can't really use it in a good way. Because you know sometimes you will see the cloud and you will use it. But you cannot use it in a really benefit way that you can get all the benefit from it. So inshallah our vision now and our next step to use it in a good way. And I think for us in the American University of Bahrain we had yesterday an amazing meeting with Theresa. And having our CEO, Dr. Susan in the meeting as well. And I think there is a lot of great anticipation of what we can do together. So something that is put on the table that we want to sort of strengthen this relationship in terms of integrating our courses with AWS as well as looking forward for new opportunities like training and certificate in the field and so forth. This is super exciting. Benefits to citizens, students, new educational opportunities, new jobs, new services, whole new Oasis. I think this is all, it's all about. The cloud Oasis. This is the CUBE coverage we are here in Bahrain for AWS Summit here. I'm John Furrier. We'll be back with more after this short break.