AUDI Hosts City Leaders Forum During Asia Pacific Cities Summit 2025

The Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI) recently organized the City Leaders Forum at Expo Centre Dubai, as part of the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum (APCS). The event, held on October 28, brought together over 150 participants from more than 100 cities worldwide to discuss innovative approaches to urban development.

In his opening remarks, H.E. Dr. Anas Almughairy, Director General of AUDI, highlighted AUDI’s vision for supporting Arab cities and empowering decision-makers to address urban challenges. The forum was moderated by Dr. Montaser Hiyari. Director of the Capacity Development and Training at AUDI, who facilitated a lively discussion on practical experiences and innovative policies and solutions to urban challenges.

The City Leaders Forum provided a platform for participants to share best practices and expertise, with a focus on improving the quality of life for citizens in the Arab region and beyond.

The forum centered on major pillars such as digital transformation, the future of urbanization, economic development leadership, quality of life, and environmental approaches to urban renewal. The discussions culminated in five key forward-looking visions that will shape the next phase of urban transformation:

1. Adopting locally tailored, integrated and comprehensive strategies that reflect each city’s unique context, while reinforcing adaptive governance and expanding the authority of local governments.

2. Promoting inclusive, community-centered approaches to tackle critical challenges such as water scarcity, food security, and environmental sustainability.

3. Striking a balance between long-term climate resilience and essential public needs through coordinated planning and well-structured financing systems for city management.

4. Putting people at the core of digital transformation, ensuring that digital governance and smart city efforts use data responsibly and ethically to serve the public good.

5. Building stronger economic resilience by prioritizing strategic investments in infrastructure and human capital, supported by effective public-private partnerships.

At the forum’s conclusion, participants stressed that quality, transparency, and long-term sustainability should outweigh short-term priorities. They underscored that effective leadership requires the engagement of all stakeholders—officials, innovators, and local communities alike—to create cities that are both inclusive and resilient.