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Roundtable Meeting for Arab Governments and Regulatory Authorities

Attendees of the roundtable in Cairo.
The Cairo roundtable in progress.

Thursday, 4 December 2025

Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Cairo, Egypt

The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) of the Arab Republic of Egypt, in cooperation with the RIPE NCC, hosted the ninth annual RIPE NCC Roundtable Meeting for Arab Governments and Regulatory Authorities on Thursday, 4 December 2025, at the Nile Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Cairo. The event convened high-level governmental delegations from ten Arab countries, including heads and senior officials of regulatory authorities, the League of Arab States, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and AFRINIC.

This year’s meeting was held under the theme “Strengthening Regional Synergies in Internet Infrastructure and Governance.” Discussions focused on developing the Internet across Arab states through enhanced regional cooperation, expanded connectivity, adoption of global routing security standards and keeping pace with global developments in Internet governance, including the WSIS+20 process and the Global Digital Compact (GDC).

Recommendations

The participants agreed on a set of actionable recommendations aimed at advancing Arab cooperation in Internet infrastructure and governance. These recommendations will be formally submitted to the Arab Permanent Committee for Postal and Telecommunications Affairs and subsequently elevated to the Council of Arab ICT Ministers, as part of the 2026 priorities, and to ensure coordinated follow-up across member states:

Infrastructure and Connectivity

  • Accelerate IPv6 adoption through clear national strategies.
  • Support the development of IXPs and promote local content hosting.
  • Expand the use of regional measurement tools such as RIPE Atlas.

Routing Security and Infrastructure Protection

  • Adopt RPKI as a core requirement for routing security.
  • Develop unified Arab guidelines with the RIPE NCC and AFRINIC regarding routing security best practices.
  • Strengthen protection of critical infrastructure, international routes and data centres.

Capacity-Building and Human Development

  • Launch a unified Arab training programme on IPv6 and RPKI, led by NTRA, AFRINIC and the RIPE NCC in cooperation with the LAS and ITU Regional Office.
  • Support the expanded use of measurement tools.
  • Integrate Internet governance and digital infrastructure topics into academic curricula.

Policies and International Governance

  • Strengthen Arab participation in the IGF, ICANN, RIPE NCC, AFRINIC, MENOG and similar forums.
  • Prevent Internet fragmentation by reaffirming the distinction between technical coordination and digital policy.

Data and Best Practice Exchange

  • Establish a permanent Arab platform for technical data exchange, measurement statistics and regulatory best practices.

Follow-Up and Reporting

  • Approve the Cairo report and submit it to the LAS Permanent Committee and the Council of Arab ICT Ministers as 2026 priorities.
  • Review the progress at the tenth RIPE NCC Roundtable Meeting for Arab Governments and Regulators.

Read the full report from the meeting.

Read the press release.

Agenda

09:30 – 10:15 Opening Session

  • Welcome and Opening Speeches
    • H.E. Eng Mohamed Shamroukh, CEO, National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Egypt
    • H.E. Mr Hans Petter Holen, CEO, RIPE NCC, Netherlands
    • H.E. Dr Noah Al-Shayab, Commissioner, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Jordan
    • H.E. Dr Jenny Gemayel, CEO, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Lebanon
    • H.E. Eng Abdulbaset Salem Al-Baour, CEO, General Authority for Communications and Informatics, Libya
    • H.E. Dr Al-Sadiq Jamal El-Din, Director General, Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Authority, Sudan
    • H.E. Eng Abdulrahman Al Marzouqi, Acting Director General, Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, United Arab Emirates
    • H.E. Eng Manal Mazyad, Vice Chairman, Communications and Information Technology Authority, Kuwait
    • H.E. Eng Mohammed Abdulla Al Nuaimi, Director of Technology and Network Security, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Bahrain
    • H.E. Eng Dalal Al Isshaq, Director of Telecommunications Infrastructure, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Qatar

10:15 – 10:20 Agenda Overview and Outcomes from the Amman Government Roundtable

Dr Chafic Chaya, Regional Manager for Public Policy and Government Affairs, RIPE NCC

10:20 – 10:40 How the RIPE NCC Supports Sustainable Development: Preparing your Internet Infrastructure for the Digital Economy of Tomorrow

Eng Hisham Ibrahim, Chief Community Officer, RIPE NCC

10:40 – 10:50 Coffee Break

10:50 – 12:50 Scaling the Internet for the Digital Economy, Securing Internet Infrastructure and Building Resilience through Robust Connectivity

Eng Jad El Cham, Regional Program Manager, RIPE NCC

Dr Haitham Alnakhal, Expert Internet Resources, NTRA, Egypt

  • IPv6 deployment as the foundation for growth and innovation
  • National strategies to scale networks for future services
  • Regional collaboration

This session is linked to: SDG 9 (Infrastructure), SDG 10 (Inclusion) | WSIS C2 (Infrastructure), C3 (Access to Information) | GDC Goal 1 (Closing the Digital Divide)

  • Routing security (RPKI) as a safeguard against hijacks and leaks
  • Best practices and case studies from Arab states
  • The role of governments in supporting the adoption of secure routing norms

This session is linked to: SDG 16 (Institutions/Governance) | WSIS C5 (Confidence and Security in ICTs) | GDC Goal 3 (Fostering a Safe Digital Space)

  • IXPs as enablers of the digital economy, local content hosts and efficient local traffic exchange
  • Strengthening redundancy and reducing dependence on external hubs
  • Lessons from regional initiatives to bolster resilience

This session is linked to: SDG 9 (Infrastructure), SDG 10 (Inclusion) | WSIS C2 (Infrastructure) | GDC Goal 2 (Expanding Inclusion)

12:50 – 13:00 Coffee Break

13:00 – 14:00 Session 4: Navigating Regional and Global Internet Governance Processes

Dr Khaled Wali, Minister Delegate, Communication and Information Technology Development Department, League of Arab States (LAS), Egypt

Eng Christine Arida, Board Member and Strategic Advisor to the Executive President, National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Egypt

Eng Abdulrahman Al-Marzouqi, Acting Director General, Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), United Arab Emirates

Eng Hisham Ibrahim, Chief Community Officer, RIPE NCC

Dr Chafic Chaya, Regional Manager for Public Policy and Government Affairs, RIPE NCC

  • RIPE NCC Policy Development, Capacity Building and Multistakeholder Engagement
  • Dangers of conflating Technical Coordination, Internet Governance and Digital Policies
  • Preparations for the UN General Assembly on WSIS+20 and IGF mandate renewal
  • Review of GSR and WTDC outcomes
  • Arab regulators’ engagements at regional and global forums

This session is linked to: SDG 16 (Institutions), SDG 17 (Partnerships) | WSIS C4 (Capacity Building), C6 (Enabling Environment) | GDC Goal 4 (Responsible Data Governance), Goal 5 (Enhancing International Governance of AI)

14:00 – 14:15 Closing Session

Dr Khaled Wali, Minister Delegate, Communication and Information Technology Development Department, League of Arab States (LAS), Egypt

Mr Hans Petter Holen, CEO, RIPE NCC, Netherlands

Dr Ahmed Said, Director of External Relations, NTRA, Egypt

14:15 Lunch at the Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo