First ARA-LG Regional Hybrid Seminar Highlights Academia’s Role in Advancing Land Governance in the Arab Region
The Arab Academic Network for Land Governance (ARA-LG) successfully held on the 15 October 2025 its First Regional Hybrid Seminar under the theme “The Role of Academia in Advancing Land Governance in the Arab Region.” The event represented a major step toward strengthening academic cooperation and fostering knowledge exchange among universities and institutions engaged in land governance, land administration, and sustainable urban development.
The seminar opened with welcoming remarks from Dr. Samer Raddad, Coordinator of ARA-LG and faculty member at Al-Quds University, who emphasized the importance of inter-university collaboration in addressing the land-related challenges facing Arab countries and in supporting policy transformation through education and research.
In her video address, Ms. Ombretta Tempra, Chief of the Land, Housing and Shelter Section at UN-Habitat, highlighted the critical contribution of academia in supporting data-driven land policies, strengthening institutional capacities, and linking education and research with land governance in the region. She stressed the need to cultivate a new generation of land specialists equipped to tackle the complex challenges of the Arab land sector, reaffirming UN-Habitat’s continued commitment to supporting the ARA-LG network and its partners.
Prof. Rohan Bennett, Chair of FIG Commission 7 (Cadastre and Land Management), delivered the keynote presentation titled “Digital Transformation and Land Administration Modernisation.” He underscored the importance of digital innovation, interoperability, and capacity building in establishing transparent and inclusive land governance systems. Prof. Bennett also presented key FIG initiatives including the Fit-for-Purpose Land Administration (FFPLA), Land Administration Domain Model (LADM), and Framework for Effective Land Administration (FELA) and emphasized academia’s central role in promoting responsible and technology-driven land administration worldwide
Presentations followed from ARA-LG partner universities, each showcasing their academic and training programs in Land Administration:
Al-Quds University (Palestine) – Dr. Samer Raddad
Cairo University (Egypt) – Prof. Dr. Hebatallah Khalil
University of Duhok (Iraq) – Prof. Layla Rasool
Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (Morocco) – Prof. Dr. Mouha El Ayachi
The seminar concluded with an engaging Q&A session, moderated by Dr. Raddad and Ms. Kholoud Saad, where participants discussed future pathways for integrating academic research, digital transformation, and regional cooperation in land governance practices.
This inaugural event laid the foundation for a series of academic dialogues among ARA-LG partner universities in cooperation with UN-Habitat’s Arab Land Initiative. Upcoming sessions will further explore issues such as tenure security, gender equality, climate resilience, and the role of universities in promoting good land governance across the Arab region.