Amman, Nov. 11 (Petra) -- Secretary-General of the Higher Council for Science and Technology Mashhour Rifai recently participated in the First Arab Conference on Science, Technology, and Innovation Observatories, held in Cairo.

The event was organized by the Arab Association of Science, Technology, and Innovation Observatories, in cooperation with Egypt’s Academy of Scientific Research and Technology and the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils, under the patronage of Egypt’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

According to a statement by the Council on Tuesday, the conference represents a pioneering step toward building a strong regional network of observatories dedicated to exchanging data and expertise, enhancing the Arab world’s capacity to monitor and analyze indicators related to science, technology, and innovation (STI), and promoting evidence-based policymaking at both national and regional levels.

The conference will develop executive recommendations for establishing a unified Arab system to monitor STI indicators, aligned with international standards, and a phased roadmap for cooperation among Arab observatories, including mechanisms for data exchange, capacity building, and joint technical platform development.

During a panel discussion on the role of STI observatories in supporting decision-makers, Rifai presented a proposal on behalf of the Council to establish a unified Arab model for indicators and strengthen research integration to support knowledge-based policymaking across the Arab world.

The proposal includes launching a unified Arab roadmap built around three main phases. The first phase focuses on harmonizing methodological and legislative frameworks through the creation of a unified Arab reference guide for research and innovation indicators and the formation of a permanent committee for legal coordination. It also involves capacity-building programs to train national observatory teams on international data collection and analysis standards adapted to local contexts.

The second phase centers on creating an open Arab innovation platform linking national observatories through standardized protocols to ensure data security and integration, along with a pilot project to test the new system.

The third phase envisions publishing an annual Arab science and innovation report, establishing an Arab fund to support joint research tied to sustainable development goals, and founding an Arab network for policy analysis and data-driven recommendations.

On the sidelines of the event, Rifai met with President of Egypt’s National Research Center Mamdouh Moawad and Secretary-General of the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils Abdelmajid BenAmara to discuss ways to enhance scientific cooperation among Arab institutions and mechanisms for strengthening research integration and knowledge exchange between Jordanian and Egyptian research centers in applied sciences and advanced technologies.

//Petra// AO