Yahsat, the UAE-based satellite operator, in association with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the UAE Embassy in Amman, Jordan hosted the ‘Enabling through Connectivity’ Forum in Amman. The special forum was arranged to discuss initiatives to support humanitarian emergency response and sustainable development projects, with the primary focus being to bring reliable broadband connectivity to facilitate the provision of basic services such as healthcare and education in Jordan and its neighboring regions.
The forum was officially inaugurated by UAE Ambassador to Jordan, His Excellency Mattar Saif Al Shamsi, who gave an opening note to welcome dignitaries and participants attending the event. His Excellency went on to highlight the importance the UAE government has traditionally placed on humanitarian initiatives and sustainable socioeconomic development projects around the world, and the role satellite telecommunications such as the solutions provided by Yahsat can play in supporting those initiatives.
Participants at the forum comprised of representatives from both the public and private sectors including international humanitarian bodies such as UNRWA, UNICEF, WFP, and UNOPS along with Jordanian NGOs such as the Jordan River Foundation, RHAS, Johud, and Hayat Education Fund. Discussions were aimed at identifying new opportunities for collaboration, and to strengthen existing frameworks.
Yahsat’s Satellite Broadband can have a positive impact on previously unconnected and under-served communities, extending various economic and social benefits, as well as providing them with basic services such as healthcare and education. The goal of the ‘Enabling through Connectivity’ forum is to encourage industry players to create opportunities for greater digital inclusion by providing reliable broadband connectivity, and to bring innovative solutions to enhance humanitarian emergency response services.
Highlighting Yahsat’s capabilities and solutions for the humanitarian sector, Najat Abdulrahman, Executive Vice President of Global Strategic Business Development at Yahsat, said, “Fast, reliable and accessible connectivity is essential for governments and enterprises for ensuring successful implementation of socio-economic development projects. Yahsat is committed to the provision of customizable end-to-end sustainable solutions in addition to reliable and economical connectivity that are designed to facilitate rapid deployment of mission-critical applications particularly when it comes to humanitarian emergency response in this region.”
Abdulrahman also discussed the impact of sustainable development projects in Asia and Africa, where through collaborations between Yahsat, its local service partners and government agencies, e-learning, e-health, and community internet access have become a reality. These include providing connectivity to remote libraries in South Africa, e-learning to Maasai community schools in Kenya and adult learning opportunities through the Karakoram Area Development Organisation in northern Pakistan.
Joining Yahsat at the forum were long serving ISP IEC Telecom Middle East. For his part, Nabil Ben Soussia, Managing Director at IEC Telecom Middle East commented, “At IEC Telecom, we are proud to be a trusted partner of Yahsat to deliver tailored solutions to humanitarian organizations. ‘Enabling through connectivity’ is the right platform to introduce the concept of a digital refugee camp, which is a great example of how much more can be achieved as a result of high speed and reliable satellite connectivity. Our solutions, like YahClick Wi-Fi that we have recently unveiled together with Yahsat, not only enhance relief and rescue operations, but also provide additional services that are easy to put in place such as e-health, e-learning, centralized logistics, better reporting and more.”
“Jordan presents tremendous opportunities and we are exploring them with our in-country partner, Skygate. We are looking at extending our solutions to enhance education and healthcare services in the Kingdom, particularly in under-served and rural areas, through partnerships with international organisations and NGOs. We are confident we can improve and increase internet access throughout the region to the benefit of its diverse stakeholders,” concluded Abdulrahman.