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11/27/23, 12:00 PM Technology News

TDRA and RIPE NCC Host the Seventh

Government Roundtable for the Middle East

Region

24/11/2023

Mobilising collaborative efforts to enhance peering and connectivity among Arab

countries

24 November - The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) of the United
Arab Emirates, in collaboration with the RIPE Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC), the regional Internet

registry for Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia, convened the Seventh Government
Roundtable for the Middle East Region recently at the Ritz-Carlton in Dubai.

High-level government delegations, including Arab ICT ministers and heads of regulatory authorities,
gathered in Dubai to discuss the theme of "Cooperation for Digital Infrastructures and Sustainable Internet

Policies in the Arab Region", focusing on the critical challenges of building a sustainable and secure Internet
in the region. The roundtable aimed to continue the progress made during the previous meetings by fostering

cooperation in developing digital infrastructure and discussing sustainable Internet policies.
Opening the roundtable with welcome speeches were prominent figures, including the minister of MoICT in
Palestine and the heads of regulators in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Egypt, and

Bahrain, in addition to the League of Arab States and the GCC Telecom bureau. Their collective presence
underscored the importance of collaboration among governments and the RIPE NCC in advancing digital

infrastructures and Internet policies.
In his opening keynote address, H.E Eng. Mohammad Al Zarooni, Acting Director General of the

Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) in the United Arab Emirates,
pointed out how critical the present moment is in shaping the digital future. He noted that as technology

rapidly advances, it is incumbent on governments to build the necessary infrastructure and environment to
support it. He highlighted the importance of working together in these efforts: “Collaboration is a cornerstone
of our approach. Working with all stakeholders, including the technical community and organisations such as

the RIPE NCC, is necessary to prevent Internet fragmentation. This roundtable can be a milestone towards a

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