The Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT)took part in the 12th edition of the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM Global 2023), which began two days ago under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The forum lasted for three days at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center under the theme “The Investment Paradigm Shift: Future Investment Opportunities to Foster Sustainable Economic Growth, Diversity, and Prosperity,” with the participation of over 600  high-level speakers in more than 160 dialogue sessions.

The Department of Municipalities and Transport was represented at this forum by His Excellency Omar Al Nuaimi, Director-General of Corporate Affairs at the Department of Municipalities and Transport. He delivered the keynote speech during the high-level interactive panel discussion held yesterday, titled “Constructive Visions for the Future of Smart Cities,” in the presence of governors and mayors from various cities around the world, as well as the attendance of many experts who shared their insights and experiences on achieving progress towards building smart cities.

His Excellency Dr. Omar Mubarak Al Shiba, Executive Director of the Technology Affairs Sector at the Department of Municipalities and Transport, also participated in the forum. He presented an introductory overview of Abu Dhabi’s vision for building and developing sustainable cities, emphasizing the importance of leveraging digital technology and employing next-generation technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. He highlighted the development of smart city initiatives in various societal, service, and economic sectors, including public and smart transportation, in the construction and development of smart and sustainable cities.

The forum sessions provided an ideal opportunity for mayors, city representatives, international organizations, and the business sector to identify emerging trends in digital technology and the importance of utilizing it to address the challenges of urban development and building smart cities of the future. The panel discussions witnessed the participation of several official speakers and experts who shared their visions for future cities and emphasized the importance of aligning values of sustainability, inclusivity, and human-centric approaches with building current and future cities.

In his keynote speech, His Excellency Omar Al Nuaimi highlighted Abu Dhabi’s achievement of ranking as the smartest city in the Middle East and North Africa ( MENA) region for 2023, for the third consecutive year, according to the IMD Smart City Index released by the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland. He affirmed that this accomplishment translates the vision of wise leadership and its commitment to supporting the digital transformation journey and utilizing it to serve the community, enhance its well-being and quality of life, and reflects the continuous efforts exerted by the Abu Dhabi government in collaboration with its key partners to build smart and sustainable cities for the benefit of all citizens, residents, and visitors.

Al Nuaimi stressed that the world is changing at an accelerated pace, necessitating an approach in urban planning that responds to these changes. He stressed that the Department of Municipalities and Transport aims to build an integrated and smart transportation system in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, believing it to be the backbone of any smart city. He reaffirmed the department’s commitment to developing a comprehensive and integrated transportation network, emphasizing its importance in improving the quality of life in Abu Dhabi.

Al Nuaimi explained that urban development and urbanization are global phenomena, and the accompanying challenges require a collaborative approach, which explains the department’s participation in this high-level dialogue to identify digital innovations and smart initiatives that help solve and address the challenges faced by cities in their urban development.

The forum sessions provided an ideal platform for dialogue among all partners at all levels, and it is expected that the dialogue will contribute to unifying efforts, facilitating partnership establishment, and promoting multi-sectoral and multi-level collaborations.