«Development Week» answers the question: Where and how will we live?

"Expo Dubai" opens the gates of the future: We will not leave anyone behind

• Expo is full of architectural masterpieces embodied in innovative iconic buildings, starting from the exhibition gates.

  Photography: Ashok Verma

• Reem Al Hashemi: “We are proud to work with 200 countries and stakeholders, each offering a different perspective to explore new approaches to inclusive habitats.”

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Expo 2020 Dubai brings together leaders, experts and professionals at Urban and Rural Development Week to discuss how to address the challenges facing cities and societies of our time, and to explore the importance of changing the ways we move, build and consume to enable us to live in the habitats that will embrace people of the future.

Urban and Rural Development Week, which kicks off today and will run until November 6, in cooperation with Siemens, the official infrastructure digitization partner for Expo 2020, and the United Nations Human Settlements Program “UN Habitat” seeks to achieve the goals of the Aga Khan Development Network;

To answer the question: Where and how will we live in the future?

The week also discusses ways to build cities and the target groups they serve, and will highlight District 2020, which is the legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai, and the smart, human-centred future city model, and will also focus on rural communities, with an emphasis on harnessing local knowledge and innovations and ensuring access to infrastructure and services. public transportation and housing, and access to clean energy and green public spaces, to ensure that no one is left behind.

Reem Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Whether in cities, rural areas, organized or slum areas, access to safe living conditions and affordable services is a fundamental right and an integral part of providing equal opportunities for all from in order to achieve progress and prosperity.”

She added: “The demand for access to resources from cities and communities is growing sharply, and this challenge can only be addressed through cooperation and exchange of ideas.

We are proud to work alongside more than 200 concerned countries and destinations, each offering a different perspective to explore new approaches to inclusive and resilient habitats that serve their communities, by giving them the opportunity to live in harmony with the natural environment, and to stimulate dialogue with a view to progress in this vital area. ».

For his part, CEO of Siemens Middle East, Helmut von Struve, said: “In the first month of its convening, Expo 2020 Dubai achieved its mission of (Connecting Minds, Creating the Future), and we are proud to participate in the week that focuses on urban and rural development, as we established our partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai is a model for smart cities of the future, and we look forward to discussing how our experience here can provide safer, more efficient and comfortable environments around the world.”

The Urban and Rural Development Week kicks off today, in conjunction with the World Cities Day at Expo 2020, held in partnership with the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai and the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN Habitats), and the event will focus on the possibilities of flexibly adapting to changes taking place, especially in the context of climate change. Explore sustainable architecture and smart city development by telling Dubai's success stories.

The discussions will be led by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, the official sustainable energy partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, Wissam Lootah, CEO of Smart Dubai Government Corporation, and Dr. Shebra, Head of the Urban Practices Branch at the United Nations Human Settlements Program. Narang Suri, CEO of Smart Infrastructure and Services at Siemens David Hopping, and Ahmed and Rashid Bin Shabib, two Emirati urban planning experts known for their contributions to contemporary urban spaces.

Within the framework of the “Inclusive Cities” event on November 3, the United Nations Human Settlements Program will also present a roadmap for the final phase of its joint slum and slum upgrading programme, which aims to provide services to slums and slums, based on the knowledge and learning gained during the implementation of this programme.

For her part, the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program “UN-Habitats” Maimouna Muhammad Sharif said: “We must challenge ourselves, bearing in mind the need to take the initiative to cut the last stage in the development of slums; There are 61 countries in which one in three urban residents lives in slums,” adding that “the United Nations Human Settlements Program is committed to achieving sustainable, prosperous, healthy, safe and resilient urban development in cities, as well as ensuring better living standards for all, especially for marginalized and most vulnerable social groups.” .

At a time when men design most cities, the World Council of Women, in cooperation with Slovenia tomorrow, will welcome speakers including Circular Change founder and CEO Ladia Godina Kocher and Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, Claudia Lopez, to explore how women can and how important they can be. They are an essential part of the process of designing, building and utilizing sustainable habitats that have the flexibility to adapt to future changes.

And many of the pavilions of the countries participating in “Expo 2020 Dubai” are filled with sections on “future cities” that highlight how advanced materials, smart technology and big data are used to make citizens safer, healthier, happier and more productive, while “dialogue for design” is a phrase On a tour that enables them to explore a group of architectural masterpieces embodied in the iconic iconic buildings on the site, starting from the entry gates of the Expo, designed by the famous architect Asif Khan, moving to the pavilion of the State of Morocco, which is full of the fragrance of authentic heritage, to the pavilion of the Republic of Korea, which visitors flock to. permanently.

• The week will highlight District 2020, the legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai, and the model for a smart future city.

man and planet earth

Visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai will witness more than 25 events scheduled during Urban and Rural Development Week, and will also have the opportunity to enjoy exploring the Expo 2020 site at their own pace through self-discovery trips, available through the Expo 2020 application.

Visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai during Urban and Rural Development Week, the third week of specialized topics organized by “Expo 2020 Dubai” within the Man and Planet Program, can participate in a dialogue to exchange inspiring views, to address the biggest challenges and seize the opportunities available in our time on climate-related issues. Communication, the future of human health, and many more.