Your Excellency Bassam Al-Sarhan, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Jordan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, distinguished delegates, thank you for making this Regional Development Forum for the Arab States so productive and inspiring.
Special thanks to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Jordan for hosting this Forum, but everyone here has helped make progress towards our goal of ensuring everyone benefits from a shared digital future.
The forum attracted more than 114 participants from 16 countries, present here physically and also online. We had good representation from Member Administrations, Sector Members, Academia, RTOs and UN Agencies, as well as other stakeholders, including young people in the intergenerational dialogue. The diversity at this meeting is what made it great, bringing together different viewpoints and rich perspectives.
Today we released the “State of Digital Development and Trends in the Arab States Region” report, which offers a comprehensive snapshot of the region’s digital landscape and is the first of the series of six that will cover all ITU regions.
The forum underscored the remarkable progress in digital development across the Arab region, and the transformative potential of AI, space technologies and cybersecurity, while highlighting persistent challenges such as infrastructure gaps, affordability issues and digital literacy barriers, so I trust this publication will provide valuable insights to help identify priorities and shape digital strategies for your countries and indeed your region.
I am also pleased that so much progress has been made with the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition. The strategy of matchmaking is continuing to yield results, as we seek to match the Partner2Connect commitments with member states' connectivity needs.
To date, Parter2Connect Pledges in the Arab region amount to a value of 23.75bn US Dollars. Some of those pledges and achievements, including commitments were showcased today on themes relevant to digital infrastructure and connectivity, cybersecurity and digital resilience, as well as capacity building and skills development.
We also reviewed the implementation of the five regional initiatives adopted at WTDC-22. The regional priorities, explored in light of a strategic foresight analysis, will be key inputs to the RPM tomorrow.
This forum has underscored the importance of multistakeholder partnerships to address digital challenges and achieve the SDGs. The partnerships we continue to forge reflect our shared commitment to advancing digital development and global connectivity, as demonstrated in the agreements announced or signed today.
It was also evident from the session by the Network of Women that much more effort is still needed for an inclusive environment that supports the growth and leadership of women in the ICT sector. Similarly, our youth must be brought on board in shaping ICT policies and driving digital transformation.
With that in mind, we look forward to the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025 in Azerbaijan in November, and I hope to see many of you there. The same goes for the Accessible Arab Region event here in Jordan in April.
Once again, a big thank you to our host, TRC, as well as our sponsor, Umniah, for the social event planned this evening. The hospitality of the people in Jordan cannot be gainsaid. So, allow me to express our gratitude to the local team here, together with interpreters, technicians, and ITU colleagues who worked seamlessly to deliver the event.
Thank you all for your participation, and I wish you every success with your ongoing endeavours to achieve universal and meaningful connectivity in this promising region!
Thank you!
