Workshops

Nowadays, it is practically hard to imagine a service that does not require location-based information. Connecting areas where people live and/or work is necessary for services including land allocation and development licences, water associations, power, and transportation. Therefore, geo-referencing is required for all development projects, apps, services, and goods. Uniform coordinate systems, which are made possible by geodetic reference frames, are needed for such geo-referencing.
Almost all nations used various national geodetic reference frames in the past to create maps and other geographic information products. These reference systems are typically based on regional or local sources or data, which limits their applicability to that nation and prevents their application in international projects.
When national maps are integrated for regional level planning, there may be discontinuities in natural and man-made features such as roads, watersheds, and ecosystem boundaries. Additionally, establishing internal and exterior borders accurately could become extremely difficult when using various reference systems, which could result in disagreements.
In Arab world, there are many projects have been developed to make a unified geodetic reference frame such as Saudi Arabia National Spatial Reference System (SANSRS). SANSARS was developed by The General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information of Saudi Arabia. In addition, The Oman datum was upgraded to ITRF2014 which known as Oman National Geodetic Datum 2014. Recently, the Federal Geographic Information Centre (FGIC) in United Arab Emirates (UAE) is starting a new project to build unified geodetic reference frame for UAE with reference to ITRF2020.
Also, there is a need to establish a new Arab geodetic datum frame. This workshop aims to share information and experience from all Arab world in the field of unified reference frames and attempt to make a cooperation in this field.
Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are generally characterized by extremely high luminosities as they are powered by the accretion of matter onto a supermassive black hole (SMBH) surrounded by an accretion disk. They also show significant rapid variability over diverse timescales, i.e., from 100 s to months and years. Astronomers use variability over diverse timescales to infer the origin of variability, constrain the size of the emitting region, and also derive SMBH mass. Among the Time-Domain Astronomy projects at the Kottamia Astronomical Observatory (KAO) is following-up intra-day and short term variability of AGNs (blazar type). During this workshop, we plan to discuss variability of AGNs in Gamma and X-rays, optical, and radio bands.
        Seismic networks have significantly improved in the last decade in terms of coverage density, data quality, and instrumental diversity. Moreover, revolutionary advances in ultra-dense seismic instruments, such as nodes and fiber-optic sensing technologies, have recently provided unprecedented high-resolution data for regional and local earthquake monitoring. Recently, many countries are trying to implement modern advances in earthquake monitoring to upgrade their seismological networks to Earthquake Early Warning Systems (EEW). EEWs are useful tools for reducing the impact of earthquakes on urban areas and mega projects. Nowadays, these systems implement modern technologies in computer science, (e.g. Artificial Intelligence (AI)) which is now a leading technique in seismology that has increased the efficiency of EEW. The catastrophic Turkey earthquake, with a moment magnitude of 7.8, shed light on the importance of installing and operating EEWs in megacities and along vital lifelines. This event hit the southern part of Turkey and the northern part of Syria causing about 59000 deaths and a damage bill of US $ 120 billion.
The scope of this workshop is to discuss the role of the recent advances in earthquake monitoring and EEW in the risk mitigation of catastrophic earthquakes (e.g Turkey’s 2023 earthquake) 
Archaeo-geophysics, a multidisciplinary field that combines geophysical techniques with archaeological investigations, has played a pivotal role in unraveling the mysteries of Egypt’s ancient civilization. Egypt’s rich cultural heritage, spanning several millennia, has captivated researchers and archaeologists for centuries. However, the vastness and complexity of archaeological sites, coupled with the limitations of traditional excavation methods, have necessitated the integration of geophysical tools and methodologies.
Archaeo-geophysics in Egypt involves the application of various non-invasive geophysical techniques to explore and map ancient structures, buried remains, and subterranean features beneath the Egyptian landscape. Techniques such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), magnetometry, resistivity imaging, and electromagnetic surveys have proven invaluable in providing detailed insights into the hidden archaeological treasures of Egypt.
In conclusion, archaeo-geophysics has emerged as a powerful tool in Egypt’s archaeological research, offering non-invasive methods to explore and map the country’s ancient heritage. Its importance lies in its ability to uncover hidden archaeological features, aid in preservation efforts, enhance excavation strategies, and contribute to a deeper understanding of Egypt’s fascinating past. With ongoing technological advancements and interdisciplinary collaborations, archaeo-geophysics continues to shape our knowledge of one of the world’s most enigmatic civilizations.