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Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs, the 8th GCC Municipal Conference and Exhibition will be hosted this year by Abu Dhabi, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center.
Under the slogan “Sustainable Municipal Services to Enhance the Quality of Life”. The event will focus on three key themes namely: Urban Planning and Sustainable Built Environment; Innovation and Technology; and Community Development and Collaboration. Spread across two days from 8-9 April, the event will have a mix of plenary and breakout sessions discussing issues relating to each of these themes in detail.
At the 8th GCC Municipal Conference experts from across the world will highlight some of the tools and opportunities available to local governments as a means of promoting more efficient development.
Day one of the event will commence with a keynote session highlighting opportunities to advance municipalities in order to develop communities, cities and economies that are sustainable, inclusive and prosperous.
The keynote session will be followed by two plenary sessions to address various topics: strategies municipalities of the GCC regions can adopt to create sustainable urban areas whilst preserving heritage, achieving vibrant communities and livable cities; ways in which the private sector can collaborate with municipalities and local government to enable new or more efficient services; key ingredients required in managing a successful public-private partnership amongst others.
Day one will also have two breakout sessions, each of which will address questions pertaining to each theme.
Under the first theme, the main topics under discussion will be: planning for urban growth in a smarter more sustainable manner and waste management, which poses a major challenge for urban areas. Speakers will highlight best examples of smart growth success from around the world, discuss how we minimize waste, as well as increase re-use and recycling whilst making the whole system more efficient and sustainable.
Under the second theme, the breakout session will focus on topics such as mobile applications for society and becoming a smart city. Topics will include: improvements in customer service by integrating mobile as part of the multi-channel customer approach; with municipalities facing the challenge of developing smart cities, how can ‘smart’ technology be integrated into existing physical infrastructure; And why should municipalities embrace the ‘smart’ concept?. This session will also explore the benefits as well as the cost implications of becoming a smart city.
Under the third theme, the breakout session with focus on topics such as civic participation and engagement and innovative customer services. Discussions will involve addressing topics such as: the new successful initiatives and strategies that foster civic participation; and how local governments and municipalities can optimize policies and procedures to ensure customer satisfaction as well as competiveness.
Day two of the event will also start with a keynote session followed by plenary sessions. The first plenary session of the day will review the key components that define successful and sustainable public transportation systems. The second plenary session will conclude with a ministerial discussion where ministers from the GCC countries and city leaders from around the world will meet to discuss common challenges, exchange ideas and share solutions to current and future municipal issues.
Day two will also have a breakout session focusing on each theme. Under the theme of “Urban Planning and Sustainable Built Environment”, the break out session on the second day will focus on exploring the topics of transforming urban spaces, integrating green spaces and protecting the environment as they are ranked high on the agenda for municipalities and local governments.
The breakout session focusing on the second theme of “Innovation and Technology” will look at how maps and graphics are helping municipalities understand the increasing amounts of data generated by the sensors and devices in today’s cities and how they can used it in a meaningful way.
Lastly, the breakout session planned for the third theme – “Community Development and Collaboration” – will explore best practices in improving skills and knowledge from the perspective of training staff in order to develop smart citizens as well as links with communities.
In addition to the conference, the event will feature an exhibition that will enable institutions and companies to display the latest technologies and equipment used in the field of municipal works.
Supported by The Ministry of Environment and Water and the Municipal System of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the event will be spread across 2000 square meters and will host over 2500 visitors from public and private sectors, as well as more than 500 delegates and 50 international speakers.
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