Jamal Numan
Jamal Numan, a beneficiary of the Saïd Foundation’s 2010 cohort, completed his Master of Science (MSc) program in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the University of Leeds in 2011. He currently serves as the Vice-General Director of the Planning and Urbanism Administration at the Ministry of Local Government (MOLG), where he supervises national-level physical urban master plans.
In 2012, as a reflection of the knowledge acquired from the MSc program supported by the Saïd Foundation, Jamal initiated the establishment of Geomolg, a national geoportal designed to improve access to spatial data at the national level. This initiative addresses societal, environmental, and economic challenges, in addition to facilitating access to this important data for individuals, thereby saving their time, efforts, and costs. Taking a leading role in this significant project, he secured support from the MOLG and funding from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). Geomolg was operational by 2013 and officially launched in 2014 in the presence of the Palestinian Prime Minister. This initiative laid the groundwork for the Palestine Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF), in accordance with United Nations guidelines.
Jamal’s achievements with Geomolg earned him international recognition, including the Excellence in GIS Implementation (EGI) award from GISTEC in the UAE in 2015 and the Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award from ESRI in California in 2016. His contributions also led to nominations as a member of two United Nations expert groups: the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UNGGIM) and the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN).
Through his active involvement in the geospatial sector, Palestine made significant progress, highlighted during the 8th session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UNGGIM) in New York in 2018. Here, Jamal showcased Palestine’s advancements in developing its Geoportal and Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF) as part of its Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) project.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Jamal has dedicated himself to sharing knowledge in GIS applications through part-time teaching at Birzeit University. His academic endeavors paved the way for his acceptance into a PhD program in 2022 at the esteemed University Sains Malaysia (USM), focusing on a relevant study topic.
With Geomolg operational since 2013 and attracting approximately 4,000 daily visitors, spanning a period of around 12 years, the platform continues to evolve, offering an expanding range of services and data. Geomolg has become an indispensable tool for individuals and stakeholders, including governmental departments, private entities, academic institutions, and NGOs. It plays a crucial role in facilitating decision-making processes with direct impacts across various aspects of life.