The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information (GEOSA), is hosting the twelfth meeting of the Regional Committee of United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for the Arab States (UN-GGIM) in Jeddah from February 2 - 6.
The committee is one of the regional committees working under the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management. It was established to strengthen Arab collaborative efforts, exchange expertise and technologies, and enhance the role of geospatial information in supporting socio-economic and environmental development across the Arab region.
The Kingdom, represented by GEOSA, chairs the committee and has been re-elected as Chairman for three consecutive terms, in addition to assuming the position of General Secretariat of the Committee.
The meeting will bring together a number of officials, experts, and specialists from member Arab states, along with representatives from the UN-GGIM Secretariat. Leading international experts and organizations in the geospatial information sector will also participate to exchange insights, expertise, and best regional and global practices. The agenda will include a review of the committee's progress through its subsidiary working groups, as the Committee performs its tasks through three working groups; the Geodetic Reference Working Group, The Geospatial Governance Working Group and the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework Working Group.
The meeting will also mark the 10th anniversary of the UN-GGIM Arab States Committee, commemorating a decade since its first gathering in Riyadh in February 2015.
On the other hand, the committee meeting will be accompanied by plenary meeting of the High-level Group of the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (HLG-IGIF), subsidiary of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management, during which reviewing the roles and responsibilities associated with the High-Level Group’s priority activities for 2025, as determined by its working groups, which was part of their effort to formulate the plan for the year, contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals.
At the same time - as an extension of GEOSA's efforts to enhance and disseminate geospatial awareness and knowledge – is conducting a number of workshops as a side event of the committee meeting, for the stakeholders from the public and private sectors, academia and non-profit sectors. Through these workshops, GEOSA reviews the Kingdom's experience in establishing and developing the national geospatial infrastructure, geospatial data governance, and setting the policies, standards, and geospatial specifications in accordance with international best practices, in a way that enhances data reliability, protection and sustainability and it contributes to maximizing its impact in empowering various development fields.
As the national regulator, GEOSA is responsible for regulating the sector of survey, geospatial information and imaging in the Kingdom, representing the Kingdom locally and internationally, coordinating and cooperating with its counterparts in other countries as well as relevant international agencies and organizations.