GENEVA — The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN specialized agency in the field of information and communication technology (ICT), put the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in charge of running the Pan-Arab Technology Incubators' Network, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia represented by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), through its BADER program for incubators and technology accelerators, will be heading the pan-Arab network.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of the ITU Council 18th session, which is currently taking place in Geneva with more than 75 member states participating.

BADER will implement a number of projects in the fields of innovation and digital entrepreneurship in the Arab world to enhance efforts to serve entrepreneurs, innovators and startups, including the BADER program for the Arab Network for ICT Incubators and Technological Cities.

It will liaise with a network of 22 business incubators and 19 technical business parks in the Arab world to share ideas and notions on how to promote the Arab business' incubators industry.

The document for the management of the Pan-Arab Technology Incubators' Network was signed by Doreen Bogdan-Martin, director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau and Nawaf Al-Sahhaf, CEO of BADER program for incubators and technology accelerators, in the presence of the Governor of CITC and head of the Kingdom’s delegation participating in the ITU Council Dr. Abdulaziz Salim Al-Ruwais.

In a statement on the occasion, Dr. Al-Ruwais expressed pride over the Kingdom’s participation, saying that this comes as an extension of the many partnerships resulting from the Kingdom’s membership in the ITU and its endeavor to support the international community.

In a statement following the signing of the project document, the CEO of BADER program Nawaf Al-Sahhaf said: “The ITU selecting the Kingdom confirms KSA’s prominent role in supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the Arab world and due to its presence in this field, as KACST, represented by BADER program, owns the biggest network for business technology incubators in the Middle East.

Since its inception till today, the program has launched 8 business incubators in seven of the Kingdom’s cities. — SPA