Speech of His Highness the President

During this phase, they seek to keep pace with the aspirations of their residents by providing services, developing infrastructure, and raising the quality of life in ways that achieve the development goals of their governments and the ambitions of their leadership.

At the same time, our Arab cities are rich in many comparative advantages and civilizational heritage that enhance opportunities to develop those assets into an economic resource supporting the prosperity of those cities.

Within this context, the Arab Urban Development Institute works to support all member cities of the Organization of Arab Cities by preparing specialized studies and reports on urban development, building institutional capacities, and activating partnerships between cities, universities, and international and regional organizations in projects and agreements that benefit the Institute's partners.

The Institute recognizes that the needs of cities and their development aspirations differ according to the current stage, which requires Arab cities to make greater efforts to address challenges amid limited resources and innovative solutions. Therefore, it was necessary to build the AUDI 2025 strategic plan to help the Institute transform its roles and fields to be more responsive and supportive of member cities. This change was accompanied by the appointment of new leadership, reliance on regional and international expertise, and organizing a survey on development challenges, opportunities, and cities' aspirations regarding the Institute's role, in which most cities and municipalities participated.

In addition to the strategic plan, colleagues have worked on developing the Institute's identity and implementing several initiatives and projects whose positive impact will become clear during this year and the coming years, God willing. From here, I invite all partners from member cities and municipalities, international organizations, universities, and those interested in urban development fields to communicate and participate in the Institute's programs and activities. We pray to God that the coming years will be times of goodness, construction, and prosperity in all our Arab cities, and that the Institute and its partners will provide the desired benefit and positive impact on the path of urban development.