Arab regulators and RIPE NCC push regional internet cooperation at Cairo roundtable
Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the RIPE Network Coordination Centre convened senior officials from ten Arab countries for the ninth annual roundtable, signalling renewed momentum on IPv6 deployment, routing security and coordinated Arab positions in global digital governance forums.
The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Egypt, working in partnership with the RIPE Network Coordination Centre, hosted the ninth Roundtable Meeting for Arab Governments and Regulatory Authorities in Cairo on 4 December 2025. The gathering brought together high-level delegations from ten Arab states, alongside representatives from the League of Arab States, the International Telecommunication Union and AFRINIC, to discuss how regional cooperation can strengthen the Arab internet ecosystem.
Held under the theme ‘Strengthening Regional Synergies in Internet Infrastructure and Governance’, the meeting focused on advancing connectivity, improving routing security, promoting IPv6 deployment and aligning with wider governance processes such as WSIS+20 and the Global Digital Compact.
Opening the event, NTRA CEO Mohamed Shamroukh framed Egypt’s role as a regional anchor for digital stability, pointing to the necessity of building resilient networks capable of supporting digital transformation across the Arab region. RIPE NCC CEO Hans Petter Holen underlined the organisation’s commitment to supporting regulators through measurement data, capacity-building and best practices in routing security, noting the region’s progress on IPv6 during the past year.
Senior officials from Lebanon, Jordan, Libya, Sudan, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar echoed the importance of unified Arab positions – particularly in global processes such as the WSIS+20 review and the Internet Governance Forum mandate renewal. Several speakers also pointed to strengthened cooperation with the RIPE NCC and AFRINIC on IPv6 deployment, IXP development and national measurement systems.
The meeting included technical briefings from the RIPE NCC and Egypt’s NTRA on trends in IPv6 adoption, routing security and critical internet infrastructure. Delegations reviewed outcomes from major international meetings and stressed the need for Arab regulators to increase their participation in global digital governance arenas.
In their concluding recommendations, participants called for sustained joint action to enhance regional digital infrastructure, modernise regulatory frameworks and expand local content hosting. They also reaffirmed the roundtable as a key regional platform for cooperation and coordination on internet policy and technical resilience.
