Riyadh: The Connecting the World from the Skies Global Forum officially started today under the patronage of Minister of Communications and Information Technology and Chairman of the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) Eng. Abdullah Alswaha.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the forum brought together distinguished ministers, industry leaders, experts, and CEOs of leading companies specialized in non-terrestrial networks. It also welcomed renowned international researchers in technology and investment, alongside local and global heads of regulatory authorities.
In his opening speech, CST Governor Dr. Mohammed Altamimi underscored the forum’s significance as a vital platform for advancing non-terrestrial networks, in line with sustainable development goals, particularly addressing the challenge of space debris.
He also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s unwavering commitment to connecting the unconnected in partnership with global stakeholders. As part of these efforts, CST, in collaboration with
the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), has conducted a groundbreaking study aiming at harnessing communication services to reduce the global digital divide; the findings of the study will be reviewed at the forum.
Moreover, the Saudi Space Agency announced the launch of the “Centre for Space Futures”, the first of its kind within the network of Fourth Industrial Revolution Centers affiliated with the World Economic Forum.
Altamimi stressed that Saudi Arabia takes pride in being one of the first nations to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for non-terrestrial networks. This forward-thinking approach, he said, reflects Saudi Arabia’s dedication to advancing cutting-edge technologies, leveraging its resources to serve humanity, and enhancing the quality of life on local and global scales.
According to the release, the forum will feature specialized sessions, presentations, and tutorial sessions, contributing to shaping the future of converged connectivity. The winners of the Internation
al “Competition on Non-Terrestrial Networks for 6G”, launched by CST in collaboration with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), will also be announced at the forum, which will also showcase CST’s recent technical experiments in Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), including the “Seamless D2D Connectivity” trial, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa.
The forum is also a key pillar of the NTN Program, which was launched by CST in 2021. The first edition of the forum, held in 2022 in collaboration with ITU, gathered more than 3,000 participants and featured various engaging panel discussions, presentations, and exchange of valuable experience in the NTN field.
