MoU Between RIPE NCC and CITC to Foster Internet Development in Saudi Arabia and Middle East Region

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22 July 2020: The Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC) and the Communication & Information Technologies Commission (CITC), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work towards a stable and innovative Internet in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the Middle East Region.

The MoU highlights collaboration in the areas of capacity building for the development of Internet infrastructure through training courses, meetings, and workshops and also includes Internet measurements using RIPE Atlas, the RIPE NCC's global Internet measurement platform. The agreement was signed during a first-of-its-kind online ceremony attended by H.E. Dr. Mohamad Tamimi, Governor, CITC and Hans Petter Holen, Managing Director, RIPE NCC.

The agreement formalises the existing relationship between the RIPE NCC and the CITC, demonstrating both parties’ commitment to further collaborate and promote Internet coordination activities in the Kingdom.

H.E. Dr. Mohamad Tamimi, Governor of CITC, said, “The CITC is confident that the new agreement will allow us to strengthen our partnership to achieve a more stable and resilient Internet, by sharing know-how and best practices. We are truly proud of being one of the major organisations in the region that the RIPE NCC has partnered with to realise its vision of developing the Internet.”

Dr. Tamimi further explained that the MoU aims at strengthening current partnerships, and opening new avenues of collaboration with the RIPE NCC in other sectors, especially with academics.

Hans Petter Holen, Managing Director, the RIPE NCC, said, “We are proud to announce the signing of a new strategic partnership agreement with the Saudi CITC, applauding its efforts to bring in world-class Internet infrastructure and best practices. Our partnership seeks to support our members and the Internet community by sharing expertise through trainings, meetings, and workshops. We remain fully committed to developing the Internet, a common goal that we share with CITC.”

Hans Petter also said that both parties would focus more on e-learning, especially during and post COVID-19 through the RIPE NCC Academy and RIPE Academic Cooperation Initiative, allowing students to learn about the latest technology and at the same time bridging the gap between the needs of universities and the industry.

Finally, both the RIPE NCC and CITC will cooperate for enhanced Internet measurements using RIPE Atlas and work together to further its deployment in Saudi Arabia.

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About CITC
The Communication & Information Technologies Commission (CITC) is responsible for regulating the ICT and postal sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Telecommunications Act, issued by Royal Decree No. M/12, dated 5/3/1422H and its Bylaws, issued in 1423 H, provide the legal framework for organizing this sector. This Act involves a number of objectives such as: Providing advanced and adequate telecommunication services with affordable prices, creating an appropriate atmosphere to encourage fair competition, using frequencies effectively, localization of telecommunication technology and managing recent advancements, clarity and transparency in procedures, equality and neutrality, protection of the public interest as well as the interest of users and investors. www.citc.gov.sa

About the RIPE NCC
The RIPE NCC is an independent, not-for-profit membership organisation that supports the infrastructure of the Internet through technical coordination in Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia. The most prominent activity of the RIPE NCC is to act as a Regional Internet Registry (RIR), providing Internet number resources (IPv4, IPv6 and AS Numbers) and related services to its members. The RIPE NCC also provides services for the benefit of the Internet community at large such as training, as well as the development of analytical tools to carry out Internet measurements. The RIPE NCC operates from its main office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and from its regional office in Dubai.

For more information, please contact:

Chafic Chaya
Regional Communications Manager
Middle East Region
RIPE NCC - Dubai office
Tel: +971 4 364 94 59
Mobile: +971 55 27 07 007
Email: cchaya@ripe.net

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