The World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi first time in Arab region
First in Arab region that such a forum, it will be the first time that the WUF, which is convened by the UN agency focused on sustainable urbanisation, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), will take place in the Arab region. The World Urban Forum will start from 8thof Feb to 13 February.
The world has really changed since the first World Urban Forum in 2002. Urbanisation is now recognised as one of the defining trends of the times. But ultimately the aim has remained constant – to promote transformative change to improve living conditions for everyone,’ UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif said.
The theme of the WUF this year is ‘Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation’. Culture which brings together knowledge, art, belief, capabilities, habits, morals, and behaviours is widely recognised as playing a key role in the growth and development of cities, said the statement.
Alongside high-level dialogues and roundtables, there are assemblies for young people, women, local and regional governments, grassroots communities, and business, as well as 400 events hosted by partners. The WUF10 features an Urban Expo with over 170 exhibitors from 66 countries, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Zone, an Urban Library, and the UN-Habitat Better Cities Film Festival.