Dubai Municipality delegation returns from World Cities Summit 2018 in Singapore … reports Asian Lite News.
Dubai Municipality delegation returned from Singapore after participating in the World Cities Summit 2018, which was held from 8th-12th July under the theme, “Liveable and Sustainable Cities: Embracing the Future Through Innovation and Collaboration.”
The Municipality delegation, led by Dawood Al Hajiri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, also included Eng. Talib Julfar, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Environment, Public Health Services Sector and Khalid Mohammed Badri, Director of Corporate Marketing and Relations Department and Fahad Al Awadhi, Director of Drainage and Irrigation Department.
Al Hajiri participated in the dialogue sessions of the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum, an exclusive global platform for mayors, governors, ministers and city leaders to discuss pressing urban challenges and share best practices.
The World Cities Summit Mayors Forum had two interactive sessions which discussed strategies to ensure cities remain adaptable to new technologies and innovations, the right governmental support required to prepare cities to readily embrace disruptive innovations and the potential alternative sources of infrastructure financing of cities.
The first interactive session, titled “What Should Mayors do to Embrace and Capitalize on Disruptive Innovations?” discussed key governance instruments that can enable mayors to transform disruptive innovations into strengths that help to advance the development of cities. It explored what cities can do to better prepare themselves to embrace innovations and to adapt to new technologies. Mayors also discussed necessary enablers that will help them cope well with disruptive business models and conquer new challenges.
The second interactive session, titled “No Investment, No Cities – What Can Mayors Do to Attract Financing for Infrastructure Projects?” explored the alternative sources of infrastructure financing available to cities. It also discussed some of the challenges cities will face with these alternative sources, which includes whether increased involvement of the private sector in infrastructure development has resulted in reduced direct supervision or ownership by local governments.
Many case studies were presented in the summit, which highlighted the sustainable urban development issues from different world regions, bringing to light the innovations and policy stances taken by leaders who have led significant transformations in their respective cities.
The interactive sessions, attended by 120 mayors, were addressed by Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development, Singapore, N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Dato Maimunah Binti Mohammed Sharif, Executive Director, UN-Habitat and mayors and top officials of international cities.