1st Arab Webinar : ICT Fighting Covid-19

“Arab initiatives and success stories”

16 June 2020 - 11 am - Cairo Time - Zoom

Nowadays we are living, in the Arab region and all around the world, under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. This unprecedent crisis has paralleled all economic sectors worldwide and has kept people under the heavy impact of the lockdown, thus has required exceptional measures and a high mobilization of all resources to come up with unconventional emergency management plans to cope with it.

During this period, digital technologies are shown as a basic pillar for adapting with the new living style through the limitless possibilities and opportunities they offer in many fields mitigate the disruptive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic alike for governments, companies and people.

In this respect, and in order to fulfil its commitment to support Arab countries and all stakeholders in facing this pandemic through digital technologies and highlight their efforts in this matter, the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO) and the Technical Secretariat of the Council of Arab Ministers are organizing in partnership with ESCWA the “1st  Arab Webinar : “ ICT Fighting Covid-19 : Arab initiatives and success stories” to give the floor for all stakeholders in the region to present their experiences and share best practices to confront the Corona pandemic. Besides, experiences from international companies and institutions will be part of the agenda.

The purpose of this webinar is to shed the light on the national strategies and plans to fight the coronavirus pandemic in the region, during a ministerial panel, and to showcase ICT projects and initiatives being developed both by public and private institutions.

 

 

 

In the Agenda 

11: 00 – 11:15 | Opening panel
  • Speech of HE. Mr. Juraj Reican, Director of UN-ESCWA Cluster on Statistics, Information Society and Technology
    Speech of HE. Eng. Mohamed ben Amor, Director-General of the Arab ICT Organization
    Speech of HE. Dr. Kamal Hassan Ali, Deputy Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Head of the Economic Sector
Ministerial panel :
Arab Strategies & Plans against Covid-19
  • Arab ICT Ministers
    ESCWA
  • ALECSO
Initiatives and best practices
ICT projects and initiatives from AICTO partners and members
  • Elghazala Technopark – Tunisia
  • Private sector – Egypt
  • OGERO – Lebanon
  • Beidou – CSNO : Chinese Satellite Navigation office
  • Huawei technologies

 – Press release :

The Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization “AICTO” organized in cooperation with the Technical Secretariat of Arab ICT Ministers Council and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia “ESCWA”, the 1st Arab Webinar on ICT fighting COVID-19 – “Arab initiatives and success stories” on Tuesday, 16 June 2020 at 11 am – CAIRO Time.

High-level speakers from 11 Arab countries took part in this important event, from the following countries: the Republic of Tunisia, the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Sudan, the Republic of Iraq, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Palestine, the Republic of Lebanon, the Arab Republic of Egypt, The Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the Republic of Yemen. In addition to high-level experts from Arab and international organizations and authorities and AICTO’s partners from the public and private sectors, such as the China Satellite Navigation Office CSNO and Huawei Technologies.

HE. Eng. Mohamed ben Amor – Director-General of the Arab ICT Organization has inaugurated the work of this webinar with a welcoming speech, during which he thanked Arab ICT Ministers and AICTO’s partners and speakers for accepting the invitation and for their contribution to enrich and furnish the works of this important forum. During his keynote speech, He highlighted the role played by the organization during the spread of the Coronavirus and notably AICTO’s initiative which aims to shed light on each of the Arab countries’ plans and measures taken to contain the repercussions of the COVID-19 through ICTs.

The next speech was presented by HE. Ambassador Dr. Kamal Hassan Ali – Deputy Secretary-General of the League of the Arab States and Head of the Economic Sector through which he stressed the important role of technology that is no longer a luxury but a necessity, especially in such critical times where teleworking and telehealth have emerged.

This webinar lasted around 5 hours and included, in addition to the opening session:
– A ministerial panel that brought together Arab ICT Ministers and Directors of relevant Arab and International organizations and authorities, through which they showcased the most prominent national and regional plans and strategies that have been implemented to face the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and reduce its effects.

– A second panel that was devoted to shedding the light on the best Arab and international experiences and success stories in using technology to counter this crisis. This panel witnessed the participation of eminent experts who provided an overview of the experiences that were implemented in various Arab countries and the rest of the world.

It is worthy to mention that, the 1st Arab Webinar on “ICT fighting COVID-19” falls within the scope of the steady and continuous Keenness of the Arab ICT Organization to support the Arab countries and all concerned stakeholders in the technological level especially during these critical circumstances that most countries of the world are going through, in resisting and containing the Corona pandemic and the resulting crisis.

“AICTO” is looking forward to concert efforts to better prepare and manage the post-“COVID-19” stage in the technological field. Hence, to develop new strategies in alignment with the next stage requirements by learning lessons and taking advantage of this crisis to be deemed as an opportunity for the development in the future.
Nowadays, the transition to the “All-Digital” in the near future, it’s not anymore a choice, it has become a Must for all Arab countries.

– Others Articles :

Ministry of Communications and Information Technology _ Arab Republic of Egypt
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, IT and Communication _ Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Telecom Review Magazine
Libyan TV
Bawabaa News