Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Department of Urban Planning and Transport (DMT) has announced the launch of the 10th World Urban Forum (WUF10) in Abu Dhabi from the 8th till the 13th February 2020 for the first time in the Arab region.
The UN-Habitat conference aims to raise awareness on sustainable urbanisation in cities and liveability across the globe. The forum provides a platform for decision-makers, businesses, urban experts and academics to share their expertise and create sustainable urban development and smart cities of the future.
H.E. Falah Al Ahbabi, Chairman of DMT, said: “The patronage of Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces for the tenth session of the World Urban Forum is a great support for the Department. This endorsement from our nation’s leadership demonstrates the invaluable importance WUF10 holds in enhancing the UAE as a leading global force in sustainable urbanisation. Hosting the 10th World Urban Forum is a significant opportunity for Abu Dhabi to showcase its considerable achievements in sustainable urban development. Cities are growing and changing rapidly. Abu Dhabi is moving towards realising its ambition to become the sustainable Arab Emirate. Abu Dhabi is making considerable steps towards achieving its ambition to be at the forefront of smart and sustainable cities. This forum is a starting point for cooperation with local and global partners, will increase opportunities for people who work in the sustainable development sector and combine culture and innovation.”
The 10th World Urban Forum will be themed ‘Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation’ and will, for the first time, place culture, creativity and innovation at the heart of dialogue about the liveability, vitality and sustainability of cities.
H.E. Falah added: “WUF10 will aim to provide a positive impact to communities for many generations to come. The event is perfectly aligned with the continuing positive evolution of our Emirate’s urban environments to an ever-more sophisticated level, achieved through refining the social, economic, environmental and cultural dimensions of urban development.”
The UAE leadership’s long-term development strategy has focused on urban development. The UAE Government’s approach is aligned with the New Urban Agenda – an action-oriented document edited by UN-Habitat that sets global standards of achievement in sustainable urban development.
The capital city of the UAE has demonstrated its ability to strategically expand its growth while demonstrating its resilience through diversification and strategic forward-planning to ensure Abu Dhabi continues to be a cosmopolitan, open and progressive Arab city.
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
H.E. Mohamed Al Khadar, Executive Director of Strategic Affairs at the DMT and the General Coordinator of WUF10 said: “The 10th World Urban Forum is the first event in its history to be held in the Middle East. This is a strong testimony to Abu Dhabi’s strategy in implementing urban sustainability, with the city having undergone a phenomenal shift towards urbanisation in a relatively short time.”
He added: “WUF10 will serve to provide an in-depth examination of the effects of urbanisation in the modern era upon communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. The event is of particular significance, as it will provide fresh inspiration for Arab urbanism to the world.”
As the host city, Abu Dhabi aims to make WUF10 the most attended and diverse World Urban Forum, since it was established in 2001. The DMT is working in close collaboration with UN-Habitat as well as the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to welcome more than 100 ministers and over 20,000 people from more than 160 countries.
