The Arab ICT Organization organized the fourth session of the Arab-Chinese Cooperation Forum on Satellite Navigation “Beidou,” under the auspices of His Excellency the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States. This important event was hosted by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport at the main campus in Alexandria, Arab Republic of Egypt, from October 24 to October 26, 2023.
This significant event witnessed distinguished participation from high-level delegations from both the Arab and Chinese sides, including the esteemed Arab Transport Ministers, directors of Arab and regional organizations and authorities, Arab space agencies, and numerous prominent experts in the field of satellite navigation.
The forum spanned over three days, featuring a keynote conference on the second day, October 25, 2023, as well as an exhibition showcasing solutions and products based on Beidou system technologies. Additionally, a specialized training session was conducted for the participating Arab delegations.
The opening of the exhibition on the first day was attended by Arab Transport Ministers participating in the 36th session of the Arab Transport Ministers’ Council. During the opening, a presentation was made regarding the Arab-Chinese Cooperation Program for Satellite Navigation using the Beidou system, especially the solutions tailored for the transportation sector. A specialized training course was also organized for the participating delegations.
The main conference was inaugurated by His Excellency Eng. Mohamed Ben Amor, the Director-General of the Arab ICT Organization. In his address, he conveyed his gratitude to all attendees and lauded the Arab Academy for its role in promoting collaborative efforts in joint Arab Action and for successfully hosting this significant forum.
Speeches during the opening session were delivered by the Transport Ministers of the Republic of Tunisia, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and the Republic of Yemen. Additionally, Professor Dr. Ismail Abdulghaffar, President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport, Mr. Xu Bin, Deputy Director of the Center for Innovation-Driven Development of China National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China, and the Chinese Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt also addressed the audience. Dr. Ali Ibrahim Al-Malki, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of Economic Affairs, addressed the audience on behalf of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
In his speech, H.E. Eng. Mohamed Ben Amor emphasized that this event signifies a significant opportunity for all stakeholders to enhance their collaboration and partnerships in the realm of satellite navigation. This field currently stands as one of the most essential support areas for digital transformations. Satellite navigation offers the capacity to furnish exceptionally accurate navigation data, which can be harnessed across numerous critical sectors. These sectors include cartography, land surveying, environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, natural resource management, disaster preparedness and response, aviation, maritime and land transportation, as well as research areas like climate change and more.
At this forum, the Chinese Office of Satellite Navigation and affiliated organizations introduced the top ten scenarios for Arab-Chinese collaboration within the Beidou system across the Arab region. Furthermore, the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO) and the China Satellite Navigation Office (CSNO) collaboratively released a report assessing the performance of Beidou services.
During the technical session, a series of reports and papers were delivered by experts representing both the Arab and Chinese delegations. Notably, Engineer Abdennebi Manar, Director-General of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization, and Dr. Haddad Mehdi, a research director specializing in space geodesy at the Algerian Space Agency, made significant contributions. Additionally, several presentations from the Chinese side provided insights into the ongoing cooperation between Arab and Chinese entities in the field of satellite navigation.
It is noteworthy that this forum is conducted as part of the Arab-Chinese Cooperation Forum and is in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Arab Organization for Communication and Information Technologies (AICTO) and the China Satellite Navigation Office (CSNO). The forum takes place biennially.
