Varsity project to create a virtual Saudi Arabia |
|
Network this!
Saturday, Jul 11, 2009
Gulf News
Dubai: One of the world's fastest and most powerful computer clusters commenced operations last week [July 2] at the Munich Centre for Advanced Computing (MAC) in southern Germany with the goal of providing the hardware for an ambitious project called "Virtual Arabia".
The project aims to put together a detailed virtual profile of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. "Such an environment will allow the user to look both above and underneath the earth surface in an integrated way," said Dr Hans Joachim Bungartz, professor at the Department for Informatics at the centre and project leader, speaking at the official opening of the centre.
The MAC is a research cluster of the University of Technology Munich, which has signed a cooperation agreement with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust) in Jeddah for a period of four years.
Kaust has committed $21 million (Dh77 million) for the project in Munich - Virtual Arabia - plus an environment-related carbon dioxide research project. The University and the Federal State of Bavaria will add one million euros annually.
"The goal of this project is to develop a virtual environment for the interactive visual exploration of Saudi Arabia," explains Bungartz.
Researchers will be able to interactively explore three-dimensional structures and dynamic seismic processes. "The researchers can also study atmospheric change and effects of built or planned infrastructure in a comprehensive way. The application will allow essentially all Kaust research institutes to use the functionality," Bungartz says.
By using this kind of advanced computer imaging technology, Saudi Arabia wants to make exploration of new oil and gas fields more effective. The commercial factors behind the project aside, new processes of virtual reality are capable of predicting certain changes in geology and climate and the impact of man-made structures.
The researchers are also examining the possibility of using empty oil wells as disposal sites for climate-damaging carbon dioxide.
The Munich heavy-duty computer HLRB II - a SGI Altix system by Silicon Graphics running on a Linux Enterprise Server operating system - is based on a cluster of 9,700 core processors, which provides the system with a peak performance of 62 teraflops per second, which is 2,600 times faster than today's fastest available personal computer.
By Arno Maierbrugger, Staff Reporter
© Gulf News 2009. All rights reserved.
Comment on this article 
Loading ...-
Zawya encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You agree that when you add content to this discussion your comments will not:
1.1 Contain any material which is libelous or defamatory of any person, is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory or causes damage to the reputation of any person or organisation.
1.2 Promote sexually explicit material, violence, discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age or any illegal activity.
1.3 Be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence.
1.4 Be threatening, abuse or invade another's privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.
1.5 Be used to impersonate any person, to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person, or be likely to deceive any person.
1.6 Give the impression that they represent Zawya.
1.7 Advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse. - The content posted on www.zawya.com is created by members of the public. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not those of Zawya. Zawya reserves the right to review all comments prior to posting and edit or delete any contribution, but Zawya is not responsible for and can not be held liable for any content posted by members of the public on www.zawya.com.
- Zawya is not responsible for the availability or content of any third party sites that are accessible through www.zawya.com. Any links to third party websites from www.zawya.com do not amount to any endorsement of that site by Zawya and any use of that site by you is at your own risk.
- By submitting your comment, you hereby give Zawya the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comments worldwide, in perpetuity.
Loading ...
from issuers in both public and private sectors. It is not an e-tendering service and is entirely FREE.
As an Issuer, you can benefit from posting an unlimited number of Tender
Notices for FREE and reaching out to an online community of bidders.
The service also offers you a tool to track the interest of bidders to your
tenders 'live' online.
| Information Technology Tenders | Due Date |
Stories
Companies
| Company Name | Country | Industry |
| Consolidated Contractors Company | Overseas | Construction and Design |
| Saudi Binladin Group | Saudi Arabia | Construction and Design |
| Saudi Electricity Company | Saudi Arabia | Electric Utilities |
| Saudi Telecom | Saudi Arabia | Telecommunications Services |
| Emirates Telecommunications Corporation | UAE | Telecommunications Services |
| Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority | UAE | Electric Utilities |
| Al Azizia Panda United Company | Saudi Arabia | General Retailers |
| Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company - Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia | Construction and Design |
| National Commercial Bank | Saudi Arabia | Banking |
| Commercial International Bank (Egypt) | Egypt | Banking |
Projects
| Project Name | Country | Sector |
| Takreer - Ruwais Refinery Expansion | UAE | Oil and Gas |
| Al Futtaim Carillion - Marina Hotel (Yas Island) | UAE | Real Estate |
| Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) - Smelter Complex - Phase 1 | UAE | Industry |
| Abu Dhabi DOT - Abu Dhabi Metro | UAE | Infrastructure |
| SATORP - Jubail Refinery and Petrochemical Complex | Saudi Arabia | Oil and Gas |
| ENEC - Nuclear Power Plant | UAE | Power and Water |
| Dubai RTA - Dubai Metro | UAE | Infrastructure |
| Al Safwa - Jeddah Cement Plant | Saudi Arabia | Industry |
| Qatar Bahrain Causeway Foundation - Qatar Bahrain Causeway | Qatar | Infrastructure |
| Qatar Bahrain Causeway Foundation - Qatar Bahrain Causeway | Bahrain | Infrastructure |