The Third UN World Geospatial Information Congress will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 16 to 19 November 2026.
Hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through its General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information, the event is expected to attract more than 1,800 participants.
The theme for the Congress will be ‘Navigating the Next Frontier: Embracing Digital Renaissance and a New Geospatial Paradigm,’ which, according to the organisers, “reflects the urgency and opportunity for the global geospatial community to go beyond incremental progress and to reimagine the role of geospatial information management for the betterment of humanity”.
The event will bring together experts from across the full spectrum of society, including UN member state bodies, government authorities, industry sector organisations and bodies, private sector companies, academia and research institutions, NGOs and, importantly, students, emerging leaders and those from underrepresented groups.
Some of the aims of the World Geospatial Information Congress are to:
- Ensure that geospatial knowledge serves as a global public good;
- Look at how emerging technologies and creativity can reshape the governance, production and use of geospatial information;
- Promote the fusion of geospatial, statistical, environmental and socio-economic data for evidence-based decision making;
- Accelerate implementation of consensus-based frameworks, notably the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework;
- Enhance collaboration among governments, international organisations, private sector, academia and civil society;
- Define geospatially enabled pathways for the future of society.
In addition to the standard plenary, keynote and thematic sessions, the event will also feature an international exhibition space, technical visits and cultural activities.
