The Aquatic Middle East Network (AQMENET) was officially inaugurated on the 27th of November 2022 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by His Excellency the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Engineer Abdulrahman Al Fadley, and Her Excellency the Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), Dr. Monique Eloit.
Member Countries AQMENET comprises the following fifteen member nations situated along the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Arabian Gulf:
Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen
Steering Committee Oversight of the network’s endeavours is the responsibility of a Steering Committee, which shall be constituted of:
The Steering Committee is charged with supervising AQMENET’s operations. It shall convene no less than annually at the facilities of the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) in Saudi Arabia. Supplementary meetings may be convened at the request of member countries.
National Focal Points Each member country shall appoint a National Focal Point to act as the liaison between that nation and AQMENET. The roles of the National Focal Points shall encompass:
Secretariat Coordination of the AQMENET Secretariat function is undertaken by the KSA MEWA Aquaculture Department under the leadership of Engineer Fares Alghamdi, in close cooperation with:
Strategic Planning and Resources During its convened meetings, the Steering Committee shall regularly review and update AQMENET’s work programme, budget and financial contributions from member states. Funding and hosting of the AQMENET website are provided by the KSA MEWA Aquaculture Department.
In order to achieve its objectives, AQMENET shall collaborate with and utilise the WOAH and FAO Reference Laboratory Networks and Collaborating Centres.
