The 12th meeting of the Regional Committee of UN Global Geospatial Information Management for the Arab States (UN-GGIM-AS), hosted by the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information (GEOSA) during the period from 3 - 6 February in Jeddah, concluded today.
The meeting was attended by a number of officials, experts and specialists representing the Arab member states, representatives of UN-GGIM secretariat, in addition to a group of the most prominent international experts and international organizations related to geospatial information; to exchange visions, experiences and best regional and global practices, and enhance the role of geospatial information in achieving development goals within Arab States. The meeting also included a review of the Arab Committee's 2024 annual report, and to follow up on the progress of the Committee’s work through its working groups.
Notable efforts by the UN Global Centre of Excellence for Geodesy and the UN Global Centre of Excellence for Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation were highlighted, along with updates on the Kingdom's hosting of the UN Global Geospatial Ecosystem Centre of Excellence, to be headquartered in Riyadh. Contributions and works from other regional committees emanating from the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management were also reviewed.
Additionally, the meeting discussed initiatives to empower Arab women in the field of geospatial information and ways to enhance their crucial role at all levels. A number of workshops accompanying the committee meeting, targeting the integrated geospatial information framework for Arab States, regulatory and legal frameworks, and geospatial emerging technologies. The workshops also reviewed the national experiences and practices of UN-GGIM Arab States member in managing geospatial information and enhancing its uses in integration with the- state- of- art technologies, thus achieving sustainability and comprehensive development.
On the other hand, the Committee’s meeting witnesses an accompanying the fifth meeting of the High-Level Group of the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (HLG-IGIF) which is being held for the first time in the Arab region, attended by 47 participants from diverse nations, representing UN-GGIM member states, along with heads of technical working groups and distinguished international experts. A joint meeting was also held between the High-Level Group and the UN-GGIM Expanded Bureau.
The meeting yielded several key recommendations and decisions: invite and encourage Arab States member to sign the multilateral memorandum of understanding to enhance the quality of global geodetic references, in collaboration with the UN centre of excellence for geodesy, approving the executive plan presented by the IGIF Group, and approving the nomination of Eng. Abdullah Al-Qahtani as a vice chair of the geodetic framework Group for 2025-2028. The Kingdom, represented by GEOSA, chairs the UN-GGIM Arab States committee after being re-elected as president for three consecutive terms and also holds the committee general secretariat.