Amman, 13th January (Petra) - Today, Thursday, the National Information Center for Science and Technology, affiliated with the Higher Council for Science and Technology, and the Royal Geographic Center signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation in exchanging, analyzing, and spatially linking data and building a national knowledge base. The memorandum aims to build an integrated information system to effectively contribute to developmental planning, benefiting policymakers, decision-makers, and stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, as well as researchers, in accessing accurate information within frameworks that economize on time and resources to meet actual development requirements.

The memorandum was signed by the Director of the National Information Center for Science and Technology, Dr. Qasim Al-Zoubi, and the Director-General of the Royal Geographic Center, Colonel Engineer Mua'mar Haddadin, in the presence of the Vice Chairman of the Center's Board of Directors and the Secretary-General of the Council, Dr. Diaa Eddin Arfa.

Dr. Arfa emphasized that the memorandum stems from the General Secretariat of the Higher Council for Science and Technology's keenness to support and strengthen the existing strategic partnership with various national public and private institutions, especially the Royal Geographic Center, which serves as a source of maps, scales, aerial and satellite imagery, and geospatial information in the Kingdom. He added that this would contribute to supporting joint governmental work, developing geographical information exchange, and establishing a systematic approach that achieves integration, meets the Kingdom's needs, and supports achievements and development plans. He also noted that this collaboration should contribute to supporting informed decision-making and building the knowledge society in Jordan.

For his part, Haddadin affirmed that the Royal Geographic Center would spare no effort in supporting the center with the data, maps, scales, aerial and satellite imagery, and geospatial information it needs. He added that the center is working diligently to support the Kingdom and its Arab brethren in all forms of support, expertise, and technical training in the field of surveying sciences, maps, geographic information systems, and remote sensing technologies to assist in matters and events of interest to the Kingdom and achieve the public good.

In turn, Al-Zoubi praised the efforts of the Royal Geographic Center of Jordan, considering that the memorandum is the starting point for fruitful cooperation between the two parties in order to integrate their roles. He emphasized the importance of cooperation and networking between national institutions to develop methods of data analysis and transform them into information and knowledge that serve public and private institutions in the Kingdom.

-- (Petra) JB/RJ/13/01/2022 14:06:10