MoU Between RIPE NCC and CITC Set to Foster Internet Development in Saudi Arabia and Middle East Region

• Agreement focuses on capacity building to support development of the Internet via trainings, meetings and workshops
• Partnership also highlights collaboration in the academic sector and Internet measurement tools

23 July 2020: The Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC) and the Communication & Information Technologies Commission (CITC), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work towards a stable and innovative Internet in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the Middle East Region. The MoU highlights collaboration in the areas of capacity building for the development of Internet infrastructure through training courses, meetings, and workshops and also includes Internet measurements using RIPE Atlas, the RIPE NCC's global Internet measurement platform. The agreement was formalised via a first-of-its-kind online signing ceremony attended by H.E. Dr. Mohamad Tamimi, Governor, CITC and Hans Petter Holen, Managing Director, RIPE NCC.

The agreement formalises the existing relationship between the RIPE NCC and the CITC, demonstrating both parties’ commitment to further collaborate and promote Internet coordination activities in the Kingdom.

H.E. Dr. Mohamad Tamimi, Governor of CITC, said, “The CITC is confident that the new agreement will allow us to strengthen our partnership to achieve a more stable and resilient Internet, by sharing know-how and best practices. We are truly proud of being one of the major organisations in the region that the RIPE NCC has partnered with to realise our common vision of developing the Internet.”

Dr. Tamimi further explained that this MoU aims at strengthening current partnerships and opening new avenues of collaboration with the RIPE NCC in other sectors, especially with academics.

Hans Petter Holen, Managing Director, the RIPE NCC, said, “We are proud to announce the signing of a new strategic partnership agreement with the Saudi CITC, applauding its efforts to bring in world-class Internet infrastructure and best practices. Our partnership seeks to support our members and the Internet community by sharing expertise through trainings, meetings, and workshops. We remain fully committed to developing the Internet, a common goal that we share with CITC.”

Holen also revealed that both parties will focus more on e-learning especially during and post COVID-19 through the RIPE NCC Academy and RIPE Academic Cooperation Initiative, allowing students to learn about the latest technology and at the same time bridging the gap between universities and industrial needs.

Finally, both the RIPE NCC and CITC will cooperate for enhanced Internet measurements using RIPE Atlas and work together to further its deployment in Saudi Arabia.