The Connecting the World from the Skies Global Forum 2024 had officially kicked off today, under the patronage of H.E. Eng. Abdullah AlSwaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology and Chairman of the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST). The forum brought together distinguished ministers, industry leaders, experts, and CEOs from leading companies specializing in non-terrestrial networks. It also welcomed renowned international researchers in technology and investment, alongside regulatory authorities both local and global levels.
In his opening speech, H.E. Dr. Mohammed Altamimi, Governor of CST, 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 in partnership with global stakeholders to connect the unconnected. As part of these efforts, CST, in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), has conducted a groundbreaking study aiming at harnessing communications services to reduce the global digital divide, where its findings will be reviewed during this version of the Forum.
In addition, 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. Moreover, Dr. Altamimi emphasized 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 reflects Saudi Arabia’s dedication to advancing cutting-edge technologies, leveraging its resources to serve humanity, and enhancing the quality of life on both local and global scales.
The forum will include specialized sessions, presentations, and tutorial sessions, contributing in shaping the future of converged connectivity. In addition it will announce the winners of the International “Competition on Non-Terrestrial Networks for 6G” launched by CST in collaboration with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The forum will also showcase CST’s recent technical experiments in NTN, including the “Seamless D2D Connectivity” trial, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Moreover, the forum is 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 the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), gathered more than 3,000 participants from and featured various engaging panel discussions, presentations, and valuable experiences in the NTN field.
