Taking an online class is no longer a novelty on college campuses, no longer the sole domain of long-distance learners sitting in their living rooms in between jobs and kids.

More college students than ever before are demanding it as an option when they register for classes - even traditional students who live on campus. Many are mixing online and conventional classes for convenience or as a way to avoid getting locked out of an overbooked course.

E-universities are proliferating in the Gulf States with a number of new projects aimed at improved technology transfer, narrowing the digital divide and facilitating access to knowledge.

Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans to set up an electronic university in partnership with internationally renowned distance learning institutions, in a bid to create an environment that is favourable to e-learning.