In an invitation by the Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) acting as the Egyptian Cabinet Think Tank, Dr. Hussein Ahmed, Director of the Opinion Polls and Survey Studies Center at An-Najah, participated in the Arab Public Poll Network Conference which was held in Cairo between the 23^rd and 25^th of January.

Dr. Ahmed informed that many issues related to opinion polls in the Arab World were discussed during the conference. The participants addressed the present status of opinion polls in the Arab World in terms of the problems that hinder their implementation as well as the extent to which individuals and institutions accept the results of these polls. The ways through which opinion polls can be developed were also discussed.

Dr. Ahmed added that the most important outcomes  of the conference was the formation of the Arab Public Poll Network which consisted of the institutions that work in the field of opinion polls in the Arab World which participated in the conference.  Furthermore, he informed that any institution that works in the field of opinion polls is encouraged to join the Arab Network; this network is an important hub for such institutions, especially that there are more than 44 of them in the Arab world

Among the objectives of the Arab Public Poll Network is to build and offer databases about the largest possible number of research centers concerned with public opinion polls in the Arab world so as to exchange information, research and scientific experiences between these centers, develop the professional performance, support specialists and workers in the field of opinion polls, contribute to the promotion of the concept of public opinion polls and reinforce its impact in all the fields. The new Arab Public Poll Network is headquartered in Egypt.