NAIROBI, May 29 (Xinhua)-- Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has has been selected to as the venue to host the 10th World Urban Forum (WUF10) in February 2020, a United Nations official said on Wednesday.
Maimunah Mohd Sharif, executive director of UN-Habitat, said the WUF10 will take the sustainable urbanization debate to a new level in what promises to be an event that will have an impact for years to come.
"WUF10 will provide Abu Dhabi another platform to showcase its achievements as a global hub for innovation and cultural exchange, connecting East and West," Sharif told journalists in Nairobi.
She said that Abu Dhabi, being the home of over 190 nationalities, offers a special combination of features in its urban identity as an open and progressive city.
Abu Dhabi will be the first Arab city to host the WUF, and the forum's theme this year will be "Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation."
Mohamed Al Khadar, executive director of strategic affairs at Abu Dhabi Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities, said the UAE is aligning the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the development strategy to support WUF10.
"We aim to make the forum an open platform for partnerships and new initiatives in representations to advance more sustainable urban models as part of identifying new ways of working together," he said.
Al Khadar said creativity and cultural diversity have always been key drivers of the city's urban development strategy.
"We are convinced that the voice of Arab urbanism can inspire the world with examples of inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities for all," he said.
The WUF10 will be a place where new connections and projects around sustainable and inclusive cities will be simulated, he said.
"This is possible because technology is today shaping the invisible infrastructure of smart cities, culture, and creativity is necessary to protect quirkiness that gives cities their own character that connects and inspires humans," Al Khadar said.
