News

Arab League Establishes Council Of Ministers For Cybersecurity

Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit stressed the significance of increased cooperation as cyber threat levels intensify.

Published

8 months ago

September 12, 2023

Nour Nasir

arab league establishes council of ministers for cybersecurity

AFP

Officials at the 160th session of the Council of the Arab League — held in Cairo — have welcomed the decision to establish a Council of Ministers for Cybersecurity.

The council aims to document and develop cooperation between Arab states in all aspects related to cybersecurity, which has become a growing threat to national and regional stability.

Saudi Arabia proposed the decision, and as such, the council’s general secretariat and executive office will be based in Riyadh.

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, stressed the importance of heightened cooperation in cybersecurity, explaining that regional stability and economic growth would be impossible without joint action from all Arab nations.

Assistant secretary-general Hossam Zaki was in agreement with Gheit, stating, “The council aims to develop […] and coordinate efforts between Arab countries in all aspects related to cybersecurity issues. The field of cybersecurity has become a major pillar of any security system, and there cannot be economic development, for example, without the provision of cybersecurity, with all its elements for society and citizens”.

Initially, the council will seek to develop cybersecurity at all economic and legislative levels by proposing policies, standards, and initiatives that will apply to all participating states.

Also Read: The Largest Data Breaches In The Middle East

According to US consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, the Middle Eastern cybersecurity market will be worth over $30 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 20% as regional governments increasingly seek to protect their infrastructure and data.

The report revealed that the UAE and Saudi Arabia are expected to take the lead in cybersecurity adoption due to the favorable economic conditions and startup-friendly regulations that have made them popular locations for tech companies and innovators.

News

Joby To Establish All-Electric Air Taxi Ecosystem Across The UAE

The comprehensive agreement with Abu Dhabi’s government includes a training program, infrastructure development, and a manufacturing presence.

Published

5 days ago

May 1, 2024

Nour Nasir

joby to establish all-electric air taxi ecosystem across the uae

Joby Aviation

All-electric aircraft company Joby Aviation has secured three separate agreements with departments of Abu Dhabi’s government that lay the groundwork to develop and scale air taxi services in the Emirate and beyond.

The deal was signed at the recent DRIFTx thought-leadership and exhibition platform and gave Joby exclusive rights to not only operate air taxi services in Dubai but also unlock inter-emirate services between Abu Dhabi.

joby air taxi partnership abu dhabi

Joe Ben Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, said: “Today’s agreement demonstrates the incredible momentum behind the adoption of clean flight across the UAE. We’re looking forward to delivering a fantastic experience for our future customers in Abu Dhabi and we’re excited to be unlocking the potential for zero-emissions flight between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. We’re grateful for the support and collaboration of our governmental partners and the entire ecosystem in Abu Dhabi and we remain deeply impressed by their commitment to building out a world-class aviation ecosystem in the Emirate”.

Joby’s all-electric aircraft went on display for the first time in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina at the DRIFTx event. The air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers and can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour (321 km/h). The zero-emission craft is said to have an extremely low acoustic footprint and can travel a maximum of 100 miles (161 km) on a single charge.

Also Read: Lebanese Newspaper Builds AI President To Beat Political Crisis

Once operational, Joby’s air taxi fleet would enable fast, clean travel across the UAE, with journeys between Abu Dhabi to Dubai taking just 30 minutes compared with two hours by car during peak times.

Joby continues to work closely with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to help the Emirates become a world leader in the introduction of air taxis. Additional testing and analysis will be required before inter-emirate travel becomes a reality, but the cutting-edge technology already appears to have great potential.