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Dr. Khaled Wali, Minister Plenipotentiary and Director of the Directorate of Communications
and Information Technology Development for the League of Arab States, remarked on the
progress many Arab countries had achieved in the digital sphere. He said, “Despite significant
challenges with developing sustainable infrastructure, the Middle East has greatly enhanced its
routing security and Internet speeds. Our excellent partnership with the RIPE NCC has
significantly contributed to this success.”

Mr Hans Petter Holen, CEO and Managing Director of the RIPE NCC, thanked speakers for
their remarks. In his speech, he addressed how geopolitical developments had begun to threaten
the advancement of Internet connectivity. He reaffirmed the RIPE NCC’s commitment to
neutrality and providing support to all members. He added: “We believe a reliable Internet
cannot be created through regulation, policies or legislation. The promise of an Internet that
will bring innovation, growth and social prosperity will only be met through trust and
collaboration.”

In the concluding remarks of the opening session, Mr. Piotr Strzyżewski, an Executive Board
member of the RIPE NCC, highlighted the significance of the United Arab Emirates hosting
the seventh roundtable meeting. He emphasised the collaboration with governments and Arab
communications and information technology regulatory bodies as a testament to their
dedication to establishing a robust and secure digital infrastructure, which is pivotal in
accelerating the evolution of the Internet across the Middle East.

RIPE NCC experts actively engaged in the roundtable meeting discussions. Dr Chafic Chaya,
Regional Public Policy and Government Affairs Manager for the Middle East, shared more
about the RIPE NCC’s efforts in the Middle East. He explored cooperation with governments,
reviewed the challenges identified during the sixth roundtable meeting, outlined the measures
implemented to address these issues and emphasised the specialised support programmes they
provide for each country.

Engineer Jad El-Cham, Regional Program Manager at RIPE NCC, shared important regional
statistics and trends, including IPv6 deployment, Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI)
and routing security coverage, and the IXP and peering landscape. Engineer Hisham Ibrahim,
Chief Community Officer of the RIPE NCC, also contributed his thoughts on good policy
development in the technical world, stressing the valuable information, statistics and reports
that the RIPE NCC makes available, which are instrumental for policymakers and regulators.

As the roundtable sessions progressed, participants engaged in deep discussions about the latest
trends, shared success stories and addressed challenges. This roundtable marks another
significant step in the collective journey towards a more connected and secure future for the
Internet in the Middle East region.

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