The Gulf Municipal Work Conference concluded its 12th edition, organized by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council, in Riyadh, from October 6 to 8, under the patronage of H.E. Mr. Majid bin Abdullah Al Hogail, Minister of Municipalities and Housing, with the participation of many government officials and specialists concerned with municipal work in the Gulf countries.
The conference issued a set of recommendations aimed at developing and sustaining the Gulf municipal work.
The conference issued a set of recommendations aimed at the development and sustainability of Gulf municipal work, which emphasized the need to work on the inclusion of community involvement in planning and urban design projects in a way that serves the principles of sustainability of Gulf cities, in addition to the adoption of modern technologies and municipal systems that enhance the policies of smart cities and geographic information systems, and identify the successful experiences of GCC countries in the fields of artificial intelligence and data employment.
The recommendations pointed out the importance of adopting and expanding comprehensive urban planning practices that focus on sustainability, applying the requirement of environmental impact study according to need in municipal and investment projects, as well as benefiting from successful experiences regarding municipal investments, and exchanging experiences through technical committees and teams in the field of quality of life.
The recommendations suggested inviting prominent experts in municipal work at the international level from outside the GCC countries to participate in the conference as keynote speakers, developing programs to develop human cadres in the municipal sector in order to contribute to achieving sustainability in municipal work, as well as developing and qualifying stakeholders in GCC cities to integrate the roles between the concerned parties in order to achieve sustainable growth.
The three-day conference hosted more than 15 panel discussions and workshops, during which specialists discussed the latest scientific and practical developments related to the development and sustainability of Gulf municipal work, the most prominent challenges faced by the municipal services system in Gulf cities, and the hoped-for ambitions and innovative solutions to contribute to overcoming the challenges facing the sector.
The three-day conference discussed the most important aspects related to the sustainability of municipal work, including the study of modern trends and successful practices in the field of sustainable urban planning and design, sustainable municipal economy, in addition to the management and operation of cities according to the best sustainable practices, and discussed the potential risks of climate change on Gulf cities and ways to confront them.
The conference honored the winners of the fifth edition of the GCC Municipal Work Award, where the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing won first place for the project of the impact of the community role in addressing the visual distortion program, third place for the project “The Basis of You Initiative”, and fourth place for the project of community partnership in the municipal work system "Contributing Society Initiative".
The conference honored the winners of the fifth edition of the GCC Municipal Work Award, where the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing won the first place.
