“The Arab ICT Organization : A Strategic Commitment to Cybersecurity in the Arab Region”
The Arab ICT Organization “AICTO” organized the Arab Cybersecurity Forum on October 21st and 22nd , 2021 at the Four Seasons Hotel – Gammarth in the Republic of Tunisia. The forum brought together the most important actors in the Information and Communication Technology sector, in order to launch the Arab strategic vision for cybersecurity.
This two-day forum was attended by high-level delegations from many Arab countries such as the Republic of Tunisia, the Republic of Iraq, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Palestine, the State of Libya, the Lebanese Republic, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and eminent personalities led by His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Abu El-Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Dr. Ishaq Sidr, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of the State of Palestine, Mr. Nizar Ben Neji, Minister of Communication Technologies of the Republic of Tunisia, H.E. Amir Al-Bayati, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Arab ICT Organization, H.E. Wadi Karim Wadi, Senior Technical Undersecretary at the Ministry of Communications in the Republic of Iraq, in addition to Excellencies, Directors of Arab and regional institutions and organizations.
The forum discusses various challenges in the Arab region, especially in light of the global health crisis COVID-19 and the sudden changes in remote working methods that have significantly increased the frequency of cyber-attacks and exacerbated the risks related to cyber security.
At the opening of the forum, HE. Eng. Mohamed ben Amor – Director General of the Arab ICT Organization welcomed all the guests and thanked all the speakers and attendees for accepting the invitation to contribute to the enrichment and the success of this important event.
He highlighted the need to adapt to the current changes and keep pace with technological developments, he also stressed the importance of focusing on the cybersecurity risks and challenges that resulted from the COVID-19 health crisis and the need to take the necessary steps to confront the risks of cyber threats.
The Director-General of AICTO also thanked “Huawei” for its important technological support and strong contribution to the development of the information and communications technology sector.
Within this scope, His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Abu El-Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, praised the efforts made by the Arab ICT Organization AICTO and other relevant actors. He stressed the need for the Arab region to possess sufficient deterrence mechanisms to confront cyber-attacks and not be satisfied with defending itself, adding that it is necessary to develop and rely on young talents in the field of Information Technology.
From his side, His Excellency Dr. Ishaq Sidr, Minister of Communications and Information Technology in the State of Palestine, stressed the importance of enhancing national cybersecurity by achieving the sectoral strategic objectives of the communications and information technology sector, which are in line with the National Development Plan 2021-2023. This activity comes within the realization of the vision of His Excellency the President and the Palestinian government in enhancing the status of Palestine on the Arab and international levels.
His Excellency Dr. Nizar Ben Neji, Minister of Communication Technologies in the Republic of Tunisia, presented the national strategy for cyber security, which revolves around six technical and six other non-technical measures to secure the national and regional digital space. This strategy also identifies the main trends related to enhancing cybersecurity in all economic, social, and educational fields, especially by introducing cybersecurity into educational programs in national universities.
The speech was also addressed by His Excellency Mr. Amir Al-Bayati, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Arab ICT Organization, member of the Board of Commissioners of the Media and Communications Commission in the Republic of Iraq, noting that the issue of cybersecurity has become of paramount importance after Covid-19 due to the heavy dependence of most sectors on information technology, which resulted in many levels, including fake news, the ethics of technological space, cyber diplomacy and digital sovereignty, which is evidence of the growing challenges and threats in this field.
From his side, HE. Eng. Wadi Karim Wadi, Senior Technical Undersecretary of the Ministry of Communications in the Republic of Iraq, stressed the importance of protecting cyberspace, as Iraq has been working for years on developing a national strategy for cyber security, setting mechanisms for work and forming specialized teams, given its ongoing war against terrorism and cyber threats and its great impact on the development of The communications and information technology sector in order to build solid communication and information environment.
During this event, the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO) launched its “white paper” on cyber security entitled “The Arab Strategic Vision for Cyber Security: Reality, Challenges and Opportunities”.
In its book, the organization referred to a number of serious risks and challenges related to the security of the digital space, with the aim of strengthening joint Arab cooperation in this field, and thus achieving a secure digital space that achieves the well-being of peoples in the region. The cybersecurity strategy in the Arab countries will also contribute to supporting the integration of their economies into the digital economy in the region and in the world. This forum falls within the framework of enhancing the Arab strategy for cyber security and protecting digital data through joint support for investments in research, modern technologies and industrial development in the field of cybersecurity in the Arab world.
On this occasion, cybersecurity experts and participants in elaborating the white paper referred to the set of risks and opportunities related to Arab cybersecurity that was presented by the organization in the white paper. They also stressed the importance of developing and implementing the joint Arab strategy, especially with the emergence of new technologies such as smart city technology, IoT and 5G technology.
To read more about the Arab vision for cybersecurity, click here