Arab States Enhance Geospatial Collaboration in Jeddah

The 12th UN-GGIM Arab States meeting in Jeddah focused on unifying Arab geospatial efforts. Key discussions tackled women's empowerment in the sector and the UAE's geodetic leadership. The event marked the 10th anniversary of the Arab Geospatial Information Committee, featuring diverse international participation.

In Jeddah, a crucial gathering of the Regional Committee of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for the Arab States (UN-GGIM) took place from February 2nd to 6th. The Federal Geographical Information Centre, led by Director-General Hamed Al Kaabi, was among the key participants in this 12th assembly, which seeks to harmonize geospatial information efforts across Arab nations.

Three primary working groups structured the committee's operations: Geodetic Reference, Geospatial Governance, and the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF). Concurrently, the Centre also engaged in the 5th meeting of the High-Level Group on the IGIF, aligned with the Arab Committee's agenda under UN-GGIM.

During the session, Anwaar Al Shimmari, Executive Director of the Geospatial Information Governance Sector, presented on advancing women's roles within the Arab geospatial realm and outlined a strategic governance plan for 2025-2026. Additionally, Abdulla Al Naqbi, a UAE Geodetic Expert, highlighted the UAE's innovative approach to geodetic references. The meeting also celebrated the decade-long milestone of the Arab Committee in geospatial management and welcomed esteemed officials and experts from across the region and the globe.