Jeddah, February 4, 2025 – The fifth plenary meeting of the High-level Group of the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (HLG-IGIF) successfully concluded on February 3, 2025, in Jeddah. This meeting was held on February 2 and 3, 2025, coinciding with the twelfth meeting of the Regional Committee of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) for the Arab States. The gathering marked a significant milestone, being the first time the High-Level Group convened in the Arab region.
The HLG-IGIF is an integral part of the UN-GGIM, which plays a pivotal role in driving the global implementation of the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF). The High-Level Group provides crucial support, strategic direction, and resources for the ongoing development of the framework, collaborating with member states and relevant stakeholders worldwide. The meeting brought together 47 representatives from various countries, including heads of technical working groups from the UN-GGIM, as well as international experts and specialists in geospatial information.
The meeting's primary focus was to review the roles and responsibilities tied to the High-Level Group’s priority activities for 2025. These activities were outlined by the group's working groups and aimed at contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs). The attendees deliberated on the specifics of the framework’s regional and global impact, emphasizing the importance of geospatial data in addressing key issues such as climate change, urbanization, and disaster management.
Representatives from the regional committees of UN-GGIM, including those from Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Arab states, presented their respective priorities and needs for implementing the IGIF within their regions. The Arab Committee, in particular, highlighted its achievements to date and outlined its work plan for the year 2025, focusing on key geospatial initiatives that align with the region’s unique development challenges and opportunities.
As the Chair of the UN-GGIM Arab States Committee, Saudi Arabia presented a detailed report on the committee’s accomplishments, providing a comprehensive look at its activities and the forward-looking work plan for its technical teams. These teams, which include the Governance Team, Geodetic Reference Team, and Integrated Geospatial Information Framework Team, play a crucial role in shaping the region’s approach to geospatial information management.
In addition to this, Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with South Africa, co-chaired a presentation summarizing the work of the Future System Report Writing Team, which focuses on building a Geospatial Information Ecosystem. This initiative aims to shape the future landscape of geospatial technologies and their integration into broader systems for data management.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia provided an update on its efforts to host the UN's Global Geospatial Ecosystem Center of Excellence. This center, once officially opened, will serve as a global hub for advancing geospatial knowledge and technologies, fostering international collaboration, and providing cutting-edge solutions to address global challenges. The Kingdom's presentation also highlighted the progress made in its partnership with various stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration to ensure the successful launch of the center.
The meeting underscored Saudi Arabia's ongoing commitment to advancing the global geospatial information ecosystem. The Kingdom continues to operate under its Geospatial Information Agency’s regulations, which oversee the surveying and geospatial information sector. This includes representing Saudi Arabia both domestically and internationally, facilitating coordination with counterpart organizations, and ensuring that the country remains at the forefront of geospatial data management, integration, and application. Through these efforts, Saudi Arabia plays a key role in shaping the future of geospatial information systems globally, contributing significantly to the realization of sustainable development goals and enhancing the capabilities of nations around the world to address pressing challenges.
The plenary meeting of the High-Level Group of the IGIF and the UN-GGIM Arab States Committee not only showcased the Kingdom’s leadership in the geospatial field but also set the stage for greater international cooperation and innovation in the geospatial data sector in the years to come.