(MENAFN- Mid-East Info) Please see below a round-up of key moments from Monday's opening day of the Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors' Forum at Expo City Dubai – a global gathering of city leaders, innovators and changemakers.

The official summit welcome, attended by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, featured welcome remarks from Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and CEO of Expo City Dubai Authority; His Excellency Abdulla Al Basti, Secretary General, The Executive Council of Dubai; and Councillor Adrian Schrinner, The Lord Mayor of Brisbane.

Keynote: Governor Yuriko Koike, Tokyo, Japan

Kick-starting the first day of global cities summit, Governor Yuriko Koike emphasised the ongoing role of cities as centres of human progress, knowledge exchange and innovation, introducing the concept of multi-city lateralism and calling on city leaders globally to collaborate on sustainable urban solutions and shared challenges.

“When people gather, the exchange of knowledge gives rise to innovation... We live in the most globalised era in history, yet the challenges we face – from climate change to rapid technological advances – have never been more complex or interconnected,” she said.

Keynote: Mo Gawdat, software engineer, entrepreneur, author, podcaster and public speaker

The ethical implications of AI took centre stage in Mo Gawdat's keynote, where he likened the responsibility to“raising Superman.”

“Artificial Intelligence is not good or evil. It's not positive or negative. Intelligence, in general, is a force with no polarity. Apply it for good, and you can build utopia for everyone,”.

World Majlis: Governance in action – shaping Dubai's success story

A packed audience heard from Dubai government leaders about how Dubai's number one priority is to serve people – with innovation, data and technology as tools to achieve this. The leaders stressed that collaboration is critical, highlighting how Dubai organisations work closely with each other and with their stakeholders to deliver an exceptional experience to visitors, residents, consumers and businesses.

His Excellency Eng Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director General, Dubai Municipality discussed the human experience in the city as an indicator of service standards, describing how the organisation transforms data into bold decisions that serve public interest, contributing to the happiness of citizens, residents and visitors.

His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, CEO, Dubai Future Foundation described the Foundation as a laboratory with the legislative support to challenge circumstances and think outside the box – highlighting that while the Foundation leverages technology, it remains entirely in service of people.

Echoing the focus on people, His Excellency Younus Al Nasser, CEO, Dubai Data & Statistics Establishment, Digital Dubai, described technology a means to ensuring that Dubai speaks to every visitor, resident or citizen and provides their desired services in an exceptional manner.

His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) shed light on Dubai's evolution from a transit stop into a sought-out destination by both people and businesses across the globe, pointing to a data-driven approach to build services and attract tourists that – alongside exploring new markets and collaboration with key stakeholders – has led to one of the highest city occupancy and spending rates worldwide.

Elaborating on RTA's focus on providing infrastructure that accommodates the vision for Dubai, Muna Abdulrahman Al Osaimi, Executive Director, Strategy and Corporate Governance Sector, Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) and Member of the Supreme Committee for Urban Planning, reflected on the use of AI and data in planning, operations and efficiency, contributing to increasing the use of public transport from six to 21 per cent between 2006 and 2024, with more than 2 million passengers using public or shared transportation daily.

Women's World Majlis: Women as citymakers – from grassroots to governance

Drawing on experiences from Africa, India, Dubai, Tokyo and Morocco, speakers discussed the multifaceted approach required to advance women's leadership and inclusion in society. They highlighted the critical role of women – as elected officials, planners, entrepreneurs and community supporters – in designing inclusive, resilient and socially sustainable cities, and stressed the need to integrate gender equity into the DNA of institutions and urban development, making it resilient to external crises.

Fatiha El Moudni, Mayor of Rabat, shared a positive experience from her city:“We have to include women in every decision-making process... A story that illustrates this is that during a council meeting several women expressed the need for more lighting around the coastal road as they didn't feel safe after sunset – especially with their children. We took their feedback onboard and have since implemented LED lights. Areas that were previously empty at night are now full of women and children, so we've really improved family and community life.”

Cooling the city: scalable and sustainable solutions for urban heat

Urban cooling is widely considered to be the next big energy challenge as global temperatures and urban populations rise. Speakers shared strategies for district cooling as an efficient, scalable and sustainable alternative to traditional systems, and called for greater cross-city collaboration to accelerate innovation and ensure equality in implementation.

Dr Alix Desulme, Mayor of North Miami, said:“We must reimagine how our cities keep people safe and cool. Our most vulnerable communities suffer first and most during heatwaves. Cooling must be treated as a matter of public health and equity, not privilege. Collaboration and knowledge sharing between cities are key. What we learn in Miami from places like Dubai or Tokyo can help us create locally adaptable and globally inspired climate resilience.”

Nature-based cities: regenerating urban landscapes for climate resilience, liveability and biodiversity

Dima Al Srouri, Urban Planning Expert and Advisor, Dubai, urged cities to evolve from being consumers of nature to being partners with it.“We have built our cities by encroaching on nature, not alongside it... Nature already has all the answers. If we align our cities with its regenerative systems, we can move towards cities that heal themselves just like nature does,” she said.

Illustrating the benefit of working with nature, Kweku Lisk, Deputy Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, said:“The idea of 'Tree Town' was born from crisis, uncontrolled urbanisation, deforestation and devastating floods. Our response was to plant one million trees and bring nature back to our city...We made communities part of the solution. The same people contributing to deforestation became the stewards of reforestation, creating ownership, jobs, and long-term impact.”

Blue Economy: How can coastal economies flourish while regenerating the ecosystem that sustain them?

With coastal economies under increasing pressure from climate-related threats, Farid Belbouab, Group CEO, Gulftainer, said:“The blue economy requires a mindset shift - from short-term projects to long-term regenerative strategies rooted in innovation.”

Salma Baghdadi, Innovation Lead at WAVE Global, added:“Half of global tourism happens along coastlines - this means coastal sustainability is not an option, it's a necessity.”

The global cities summit continues until 29 October at Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai.

About Expo City Dubai:

Expo City Dubai, the legacy city of Expo 2020 Dubai, is an innovation-driven, people-centric community rooted in the belief that collaboration can propel sustainable progress. Its prime location and world-class connectivity place it at the centre of Dubai's future – the lynchpin between Dubai Exhibition Centre, Al Maktoum International Airport and Jebel Ali Port and a key driver of Dubai's Economic Agenda (D33)

• A world-class free zone, it is home to a thriving business community that supports cross-sector collaboration and provides a springboard for businesses of all sizes to scale and grow, enhancing Dubai's position as a global centre of trade and reinforcing the UAE's development and diversification ambitions
• Its residential communities redefine urban living, exemplifying best practice in innovative, environment-friendly design with a focus on wellbeing and happiness
• An incubator for innovation, it is a testbed for solutions and a platform for groundbreaking ideas that benefit both people and the planet
• Packed with educational, cultural and entertainment offerings, with more than 30 indoor and outdoor venues attracting globally significant events, it celebrates human creativity and ingenuity and inspires future generations
• Designed as a blueprint for sustainable urban living and one of five hubs on the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, its roadmap to achieving net zero by 2050 and its broader decarbonisation targets raise the bar on responsible urban development

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