Jeddah: A delegation from the Federal Geographical Information Centre, led by Hamed Al Kaabi, Director-General of the Centre, took part in the 12th meeting of the Regional Committee of United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for the Arab States (UN-GGIM) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 2nd to 6th February.
According to Emirates News Agency, the committee is one of the regional branches under the UN-GGIM, established with the aim of coordinating and unifying efforts among Arab nations in the field of geospatial information. The committee operates through three primary working groups: the Geodetic Reference Working Group, the Geospatial Governance Working Group, and the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF) Working Group.
The Centre also participated in the 5th meeting of the High-Level Group on the IGIF, which is affiliated with the UN-GGIM and was held concurrently with the Arab Committee meeting. Anwaar Al Shimmari, Executive Director of the Geospatial Information Governance Sector and Chair of the Arab Geospatial Governance Team, delivered a presentation on women's empowerment and their role in the Arab geospatial sector. She outlined the Comprehensive Geospatial Information Governance Plan for the Arab States (2025-2026), discussing future directions and necessary actions for achieving the comprehensive strategy for geospatial governance requirements.
In addition, Abdulla Al Naqbi, a Geodetic Expert, shared insights into the Unified National Geodetic Reference for the UAE, highlighting the nation's experience in this domain. The meeting also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Arab Committee of UN Experts on Geospatial Information Management. The event was attended by officials, experts, and specialists from member Arab states, as well as representatives from the Secretariat of the UN-GGIM and international experts and organizations.
