AUDI Holds its 19th Webinar on “Urban Resilience: Designing Smart Cities for Crisis Preparedness”

03 Mar 2026

As part of its ongoing commitment to promoting inclusive urban planning across the Arab Region, the Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI) held, today, the 19th session of its “Cities in Action” series, bringing together a wide range of specialists and professionals in urban development. The session opened with remarks by Dr. Abdulla Difalla, the webinar moderator and professor of urban planning. He welcomed the participants and extended his congratulations on the holy month of Ramadan, highlighting the importance of urban resilience amid the accelerating challenges facing cities today. He also emphasized the role of the “Cities in Action” series in fostering dialogue and knowledge exchange among urban development experts. The session featured H.E. Mr. Nael Ibrahim Alhegeil, Deputy Mayor for Digital Transformation and Smart Cities at the Eastern Province Municipality, who delivered a presentation on urban resilience as a strategic necessity for ensuring service continuity and safeguarding development gains amid severe shocks and increasing time pressures. Mr. Alhegeil outlined the key pillars of urban resilience—environmental, operational, and societal—highlighting the critical role of data and smart technologies in enabling proactive planning and evidence-based decision-making. He also emphasized the shift from traditional reactive approaches toward resilient planning grounded in prediction and preparedness. He further showcased the Eastern Province Municipality’s establishment of a unified city management and operations center, integrating smart platforms with real-time data analytics. He noted that this center boosts response efficiency, enhances coordination among agencies, and elevates the quality of services provided to residents. At the conclusion of the session, Dr. Abdullah Difalla thanked H.E. Mr. Nael Ibrahim Alhegeil for his insightful presentation, praising its concepts and practical applications that advance smart city transformation and promote more flexible, sustainable urban systems.