AUDI Concludes Second Round of Thematic Clusters Meetings in preparations for AECD

06 Jul 2026

The Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI) concluded the second round of interactive sessions of the Thematic Clusters as part of the Arab European Cities Dialogue Forum (AECD) activities in June 2026. The sessions brought together representatives from Arab and European cities, as well as international organizations, as part of the ongoing series of meetings organized by AUDI in preparation for the forum, which is set to be held in Madrid, Spain, January 2027. The second round featured four interactive sessions organized to cover the thematic tracks of Quality of Life and Community Development, Local Economic Development and Prosperity, Climate Action and Urban Resilience, and Digital Transformation and Technology. During these sessions, participating cities discussed the priority of urban issues related to each thematic track. This round of thematic clusters focused on moving beyond identifying urban challenges toward examining the systemic factors and root causes behind the issues facing cities. The objective was to develop a deeper understanding of the common patterns shared by Arab and European cities. The second round also laid the foundation for the next phase of the dialogue by shifting the focus from identifying challenges to exploring solutions and exchanging experiences, with the aim of developing practical, implementable solutions and identifying urban policy approaches capable of addressing these challenges more effectively.