Your Excellency Sami Smeirat, Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,
Dr Khalid Wali, Director of the ICT Department at the League of Arab States, Ms Barbara Manzi, Regional Director for Arab States, UN Development Coordination Office, Your Excellency Bassam Al-Sarhan, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Jordan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure and honor to welcome you to the Regional Development Forum for the Arab States Region.
I would like to start by thanking the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Jordan for hosting this Forum, and by thanking you all for being here. This year is the 160th anniversary of the ITU, the world could not be more different from when we were founded in the age of the telegraph. Last year saw the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, affirming that our common future is digital.
Our collective goal, today and always, is to ensure everyone benefits from that digital future. In partnership with our UN colleagues, we must ensure the Sustainable Development Goals are achieved and that no one is left behind.
Our particular vision is guided by the Kigali Action Plan, as decided at the 2022 World Telecommunication Development Conference, because the Regional Initiatives for the Arab States adopted there continue to serve as the compass for our work.
They are sustainable digital economy through digital transformation, enhancing confidence, security and privacy in telecoms, developing digital infrastructure, building capacities and encouraging digital innovation, and developing means of digital regulation.
The good news is that our work is having a demonstrable impact on people’s lives. The Kigali Action Plan is yielding results both globally and specifically in the Arab States through our Regional Initiatives.
From developing National Emergency Telecommunications Plans for several countries and Digital Innovation Profiles for others to providing skills development for women in cyber, our work is making the region, safer and more inclusive, even as we grow nation’s capacity for digital development.
And that brings me to the Status of Digital Development and Trends in the Arab States report, which we are launching today. The Arab region has made some important achievements in the ICT sector. 70% of its people were estimated to be online in 2024, increasing from 69% in 2023. At 83%, mobile phone ownership above the global average of 80%. More youth in particular are estimated to be connected at 86% in 2024, up from 78% in 2023.
Of course, there remains some challenges, chiefly the various digital divides between countries in the region, between the generations and of course the genders.
At today’s RDF, we will have a session dedicated to women in the ICT sector and how we can foster formidable networks to support their growth and leadership.
We will also engage young people in an intergenerational dialogue to reflect how they can be more meaningfully engaged in the sector, both active users of technologies and as key stakeholders in the digital ecosystem.
In the same spirit, it is essential that we forge ahead with the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition, ITU’s global multistakeholder alliance to mobilize toward universal and meaningful connectivity. At our last Regional Development Forum in 2023, I emphasized the importance of Partner2Connect and the subsequent matchmaking sessions were very fruitful in mirroring various initiatives. The number of pledges pertaining to the Arab States stands at 175, amounting to a total estimated value of $23.74 billion. I am hopeful that we will make even more progress from this point on.
Our continuing goal is to match the Partner2Connect commitments with member states' connectivity needs, including supporting less developed countries through regulatory frameworks, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity initiatives. We call on Member States and the private sector to join forces through matchmaking and make even more of a difference.
The Arab region has distinct advantages in its rich resources, its vast markets and strong cultural ties, and above all in the talent and ambition of its people. So let us tap into that talent and ambition as we work towards universal and meaningful connectivity throughout the region.
You are all welcome to join us at the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025 in Azerbaijan in November, and we also look forward to the Accessible Arab Region event here in Jordan in April.
Thank you!
