Environmental and urban experts from across the globe are meeting in Abu Dhabi with the aim of making cities across the world more sustainable.

 

They are convened for the 11th edition of the Ecocity World Summit, the long-running biennial conference, which is being held in the region for the first time. The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), the environmental regulator for the emirate of Abu Dhabi, is the lead organizer for the event.

 

Reem Al Hashemi, Minister of State and director general for the Expo 2020’s Dubai Bureau, presided over the opening ceremony with an address on mobility, sustainability and opportunity as the visions for Expo 2020. Other key speakers included Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, secretary general at the EAD and Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, director of energy and climate change at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

This year’s conference focuses on building ecocities in challenging environments, and is also being supported by the UAE ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abu Dhabi emirate’s urban regulator, the Urban Planning Council, besides renewable energy company Masdar.

 

In a statement sent on October 10, the UPC said that the summit could result in the preparation of a tangible plan that enables effective and sustainable urbanization in desert climates such as the UAE’s. A number of new partnerships and projects within the Middle East and North Africa region are also expected to be launched.