AUDI Organizes Fourth Round of Thematic Cluster Meetings of Arab European Cities Dialogue Forum

The Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI) held the fourth and final round of thematic cluster meetings under the Arab-European Cities Dialogue (AECD) Forum from October 19 to 22, 2026, bringing together 59 participants from Arab and European cities. The meetings concluded a five-month series of interactive sessions focused on sharing expertise, addressing common urban challenges, and exploring practical solutions and best practices. 

The concluding meetings marked a significant step forward in the thematic clusters’ work, with discussions moving beyond identifying urban challenges and analyzing their root causes to examining projects, experiences, and lessons learned. Participants also explored ways to translate shared knowledge into practical action, strengthen city-to-city cooperation, and create new opportunities for partnerships.

The sessions featured experts from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Connective Cities, an initiative of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Discussions explored ways to draw on successful urban experiences and adapt solutions and practices to cities’ specific priorities and local needs. The dialogue focused on four key themes: climate action and urban resilience; quality of life and community development; digital transformation and technology; and local economic development and prosperity.

Participating cities included Riyadh, Amman, Casablanca, Madrid, Alicante, Baghdad, Marbella, Irbid, Wrocław, Taiz, Granada, Giza, Ramallah, and Agadir. The initiative provided a platform for exchanging knowledge and expertise and exploring opportunities to strengthen cooperation between Arab and European cities in addressing shared urban challenges.

With the conclusion of the fourth round, the thematic clusters are entering a new phase focused on fostering direct connections between cities, building partnerships, and translating dialogue into practical cooperation. Building on the progress achieved in previous rounds, this phase aims to strengthen and sustain city-to-city collaboration ahead of the Arab European Cities Dialogue Forum, scheduled to take place in Madrid in 2027.