Roundtable Meeting for Governments and Regulators in the Middle East

Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Four Seasons Hotel, Amman, Jordan

The RIPE NCC’s eighth Arab Government and Regulatory Authorities Roundtable, titled "Enhancing Internet Infrastructure and Governance for a Resilient Digital Future in Arab Countries," will take place on Tuesday, 19 November 2024 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Amman, Jordan. This event brings together key government representatives, regulatory authorities and experts from the RIPE NCC to discuss critical developments in Internet infrastructure, governance and security.

The agenda will focus on the latest efforts and collaborative achievements in developing a secure and scalable Internet infrastructure across Arab countries, with contributions from the RIPE NCC and other regional stakeholders like the League of Arab States and Arab Internet Task Force. The discussions will go over success stories from leading countries such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, along with a review of emerging challenges and opportunities in enhancing Internet resilience.

A key highlight of the roundtable will be the signing of an MoU between Jordan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission and the RIPE NCC, underscoring a commitment to strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual interest, particularly in Internet development, governance and public policy.

The roundtable provides a platform for an open dialogue on cooperation in global Internet governance, highlighting opportunities for Arab countries to play a more prominent role on the international stage, particularly within initiatives like the Global Digital Compact and WSIS+20.

This event represents an important step towards fostering a more connected, secure and resilient Internet for the Middle East region.

Agenda for the 8th RIPE NCC Roundtable for Arab Governments and Regulatory Authorities (Arabic)

Draft Agenda

10:00 – 10:45: Opening Session

• Opening speeches by distinguished guests
  • HE Eng. Bassam Al-Sarhan, CEO, Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC), Jordan
  • HE Mr Hans Petter Holen, CEO, RIPE NCC, Netherlands
  • HE Dr Khaled Wali, Minister Delegate, Communication and Information Technology Development Department, League of Arab States (LAS), Egypt
  • HE Eng. Christine Arida, Board Member and Strategic Advisor to the Executive President, National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Egypt
  • HE Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Marzouqi, Acting Director General, Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), United Arab Emirates
  • HE Mr. Omar bin Abdullah Al-Qatabi, Vice President, Telecommunications Regulatory Sector, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Sultanate of Oman
  • HE Eng. Mohamed Abdulla Alnoaimi, Director of Technology and Network Security, Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA), Bahrain
  • HE Mr Piotr Strzyżewski, Member of the Executive Board, RIPE NCC, Poland
• Summary of discussions and outcomes from the seventh Government Roundtable in Dubai
  • Dr Chafic Chaya, Regional Manager for Public Policy and Government Affairs, RIPE NCC

10:45 - 11:00: Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:30: Current Efforts, Scalability, Security and Internet Resilience

• Collaboration and Partnerships with Arab Governments and Regulatory Authorities
  • Eng. Hisham Ibrahim, Chief Community Officer, RIPE NCC
• Overview of the latest statistics, challenges, opportunities and achievements in developing Internet infrastructure, security and resilience in Arab countries
  • Eng. Jad El Cham, Regional Programme Manager, RIPE NCC
• Joint efforts by the RIPE NCC, regulatory authorities, League of Arab States, Arab Internet Task Force and the ITU Arab Regional Office to develop and protect Internet infrastructure and success stories from Arab countries
  • Dr Khaled Wali, Minister Delegate, Communication and Information Technology Development Department, League of Arab States, Egypt
  • Eng. Maha Al-Mashar,, Regulatory Studies and Research Organization, TRC, Jordan
  • Eng. Mohamed Abdulla Alnoaimi, Director of Technology and Network Security, (TRA), Bahrain

12:30 – 12:45: Coffee Break

12:45–13:45: Joint Cooperation on Internet Governance and Public Policy

Chair: HE Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Marzouqi, Acting Director General, Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, United Arab Emirates

• A comprehensive review of meetings and developments in Internet governance and public policy (The Summit of the Future, Global Digital Compact, WSIS+20, ITU, IGF and NetMundial)
• Open discussion on current and future efforts to strengthen cooperation in Internet governance and public policy and opportunities to place Arab states on the global Internet governance map
  • Dr Khaled Wali, Minister Delegate, Communication and Information Technology
  • Eng. Christine Arida, Board Member and Strategic Advisor to the Executive President, National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Egypt
  • Eng. Hisham Ibrahim, Chief Community Officer, RIPE NCC
  • Dr Chafic Chaya, Regional Manager for Public Policy and Government Affairs, RIPE NCC

13:45–14:00: Closing Session

• Recommendations and closing remarks
  • HE Engineer Bassam Al-Sarhan, CEO, TRC, Jordan
  • HE Mr Hans Petter Holen, CEO, RIPE NCC, Netherlands

14:00: Lunch at Four Seasons