The 12th meeting of the Regional Committee on Global Geospatial Information Management of the United Nations for Arab States (UN-GGIM) took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from February 2 to 6, and it was attended by representatives of the Federal Geospatial Information Center (FGIC) guided by Hameda Al-Kaabi, the general director of the center. At the meeting, officials, experts, and specialists from Arab member states gathered, including representatives from the United Nations Geospatial Information Management Secretariat, as well as international experts and relevant international organizations. The committee is one of the regional committees under the aegis of UN-GGIM, established for the coordination and unification of geospatial information efforts of Arab countries. It operates through three main working groups: a working group on geodetic reference points, a working group on the management of geospatial information, and a working group on integrated geospatial information structure (IGIF). During the meeting, the 5th session of the High-level IGIF Group, affiliated with UN-GGIM, also took place, which parallelly proceeded with the session of the Arab Committee. Anwar Al-Shimmari, the executive director of the geospatial information management sector and chair of the committee on geospatial information management in the Arab region, delivered a presentation on the issue of women's authority and their leadership role in the Arab geospatial information sector. Also presented was a plan for integrated geospatial information management for Arab countries (2025–2026), outlining the main guidelines for the future and necessary actions for achieving a comprehensive strategy based on the requirements for managing geospatial information. In addition, Abdulla Al-Naakbi, a geodesy expert, provided an overview of the national geodetic reference system of the United Arab Emirates, showcasing the leading experience of the country in this field. The meeting also marked the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Arab Committee of Experts on geospatial information management.
