Royal approval has been granted to accept Dr. Eng. Mohammed bin Yahya Al Sayel, President of the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information and Chairman of the Committee of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for the Arab States, as a member of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of the United Nations Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Centre (UN-GGKIC). The centre is scheduled in the People's Republic of China from April 20-22, 2023. The invitation from the UN Department of Statistics of Economic and Social Affairs Statistics Division called for the President of the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be a founding member of the UN-GGKIC IAC, one of the centres of the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). The UN-GGKIC aims to develop global geospatial capabilities and competencies, create knowledge and innovation hubs of countries, and leverage the mechanisms, techniques, and analyses used in geospatial information. The Centre also aims to implement the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF), which contributes to improving and strengthening the management of national geospatial information to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The selection of the President of the Saudi authority, Al Sayel, as a founding member of the UN-GGKIC IAC is a testament to the Kingdom's leading role in the field of geospatial information. The IAC's goal is to provide guidance and advice on the development and review of the centre's annual technical work program.
