RIYADH: Since the Ministry of Education’s decision to close all educational institutions in the Kingdom from March 8, following advice from health authorities in light of the coronavirus outbreak, the majority of schools and universities have implemented e-learning programs to enable students to continue their education. To that end, the Saudi Research and Innovation Network (Maeen) — a part of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) — has teamed up with the Integrated Telecom Company (ITC) to “increase the data quota between some of the Kingdom’s universities and KACST free of charge,” according to SPA. “The initiative aims to support university students and members, raise the quality of virtual classrooms and learning platforms, and improve access to national digital services.” Twenty-eight universities in the Kingdom are currently connected to Maeen’s network, through which, according to SPA, it “achieves the requirements of scientific research, transferring data between its subscribers with speed and efficiency.” Maeen also provides several apps and other services to its users.