I was educated in Algeria up to high school. I received a government grant to study in the UK as part of a programme to encourage high school graduates. I studied for an MEng in Computer Science from the University of Manchester. I am currently preparing for a PhD in Formal Methods, influenced by theoretical computer science and logic. The subject is Evolvable Systems.

Besides studies, I work within the localisation community to standardise Arabic translation, fix RTL/Arabic issues in Open Source Software and localise GNOME to Arabic (with great progress).

the creator and editor of BahrainOnline.org and BahrainPortal.org, one of the first arab who blog in Arabic language(http://abdulemam.blogspot.com), BahrainOnline created since 10 years, when Bahrain was under the security situation and people demands for reform and asking for returning back to the constitution, after the reform been start when the new king in Bahrain come, BahrainOnline toke huge place as the first electronic news source for all Bahraini and its continue to growing up. In Feb 2005 Ali with two of his friends been arrested for 2 weeks and the charge was insulting the king, with the pressure of NGOs , Media and demonstrations , Ali and his friends been released but the changes still not dropped , BahrainOnline is still running but its always block in Bahrain since 2002 but still its getting more than 100000 hit per day, attends many workshop and conference with IREX and FronLine and WAN-Press. Working as computer engineer , Working in the new project (bahrainPortal.org) to be the first Electronic News paper in Bahrain.

Abdelrahman works as a software developer in OpenCraft. mainly developing web applications using Drupal serving lots of purposes from online communities and web 2.0ish sites to business related applications trying to give corporate fat cats a healthy IT diet.

A bit of a free software fanatic so don't panic if he lashes at you for saying that Open Source === Free Software. Loves to go out, party, have fu.... okay those are lies. He's always in front of his computer either blogging, reading, or secretly plotting an evil plan to move someone to free software.

Founder and Editor of ArabCrunch. Has a BA in Economics, took a PHP 5 course. Interest in web 2.0/3.0, mobile 2.0, Enterprise 2.0, blogging, Arab tech startups, and tech entrepreneurship.

The first Arab Blogger to make a full-time job out of professional Blogging. More than Six years of experience in web development, specially in Arabic.

Owner of miolog.com. It’s the first Arabic blog about professional Blogging.

Author of the "abc Blogging" an Arabic ebook about Blogging.

Co-author of the book "The Future of Web". Will publish soon by Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (KSA).

a consultant in Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D). He worked for many projects to bring technology to developing countries and deliver training and capacity building programmes. A firm believer in Free and Open Source Software (F/OSS), he established the GNU/Linux Syria User Group in Damascus in 2002 and started the Arab Commons Initiative as an attempt to advance the Creative Commons cause in the Arab World. Anas has a Masters degree in Information Systems Engineering from Cardiff University, and has authored several books including: Open Source - Unlimited Opportunities, Wireless Networking in the Developing World - Arabic Edition.

My name is Sami Ben Gharbia. Born in Bizerte (Tunisia) in 1967, I fled from Tunisia in 1998 and live in The Netherlands as political refugee. I speak Arabic, French, Dutch, English, and a bit of Farsi. My personal blog [fikra] فكرة (which means idea in Arabic) has been censored in Tunisia since 2003. I initially start blogging with the publishing of the first Tunisian e-book (Borj Erroumi XL) that tells the story of the escapade that I was forced to, crossing Africa and the Middle East, to reach Europe and get asylum. I can also be found at nawaat.org, an independent Tunisian site that I run together with a wonderful team.

I joined Global Voices team as Advocacy Director. And I'am fascinated by the use of new information technologies for advocacy and fighting censorship and oppression. That’s why I’m blogging. That’s why I’m here.

Helmi Noman is a Research Affiliate of Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society working on the Opennet Initiative. Helmi leads the research on Internet, media and telecommunications laws and issues surrounding filtering and censorship in the Middle East and North Africa. Helmi's research also explores the impact of information and communication technologies on the Arab information societies, the Arabic Web content, how the use of the Internet defies the social and political structures in the region, and the potential systemic changes which cyberspace can bring to real space in the Arab world.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Helmi received a Master's degree in Communications, Computing, and Technology from Columbia University.