Page 9 - RIPE NCC PR REPORT - NOVEMBER 2023

government through the "Digital Palestine Agenda 2023," which is based on five pillars: digital
strategic frameworks, infrastructure, legal environment, digital employment and trade, and
digital transformation for social inclusion, culture, and media.

Engineer. Bassam Al-Sarhan, Chairman and CEO of the Telecommunications Regulatory
Authority (TRC) in Jordan, pointed out the importance of joint efforts in building digital
economies. He stated, “We need an inclusive, collaborative and supportive environment to
achieve the promise that the Internet offers. We at TRC take great pride in our collaboration
with the RIPE NCC, working together in improving routing security and resilience and
achieving unparalleled Internet speeds. Our notable strides in deploying IPv6 and transitioning
to 5G have resulted in extensive coverage, setting the stage for even more pervasive
connectivity.”

Mr. Omar Al-Omar, Chairman and CEO of the Communications and Information Technology
Regulatory Authority (CITRA) in Kuwait, recalled the impact of the pandemic and the need
for Internet resilience that it demonstrated. He noted that Kuwait took the opportunity to invest
in its Internet infrastructure. He added, “While development at a national level is important, it
is crucial to also develop regionally. This includes alignment between countries through
working groups and linking IXPs. A key part of this effort is continuing the dialogue and
enhancing capacity-building programmes by publishing reports on Internet statistics and
trends. We must also stay up to date with the adoption of emerging technology to enhance our
connectivity.”

Dr Ali Al-Muayed, CEO of the Communications and Media Commission (CMC), shared the
country’s efforts to promote digital transformation. He said: “The challenges facing our
countries today in the digital realm emphasise the need for collaboration to create conditions
for an open, secure and flexible Internet. Emphasising the preservation of public freedoms for
citizens and freedom of expression is crucial. Thus, establishing the right collaborative
environment is essential to overcoming obstacles to developing the ICT sector, especially in
the context of the Internet.”

In his speech, Eng. Hossam El-Gamal, CEO of the National Telecom Regulatory Authority
(NTRA) in Egypt, noted that the digital sector has become a leading part of the economy, which
presents its own challenges. He also acknowledged that “Although Egypt is outside of the RIPE
NCC’s service region, we embrace strategic cooperation with the international community to
develop our network infrastructure. This collaboration is also important for routing security, a
priority in Egypt and Africa overall.”

Mr. Philippe Marnik, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority
(TRA) of Bahrain, highlighted the necessity of collaboration for even the most fundamental
aspects of routing and digital communication. He said, “For the Internet to work, it needs
collaboration between everybody, not just to make sure the basics work but also the overall
systems and services. We must speak with one voice to understand the needs of Internet users
worldwide.”