RIYADH, 5 August — Saudi Arabia will host a three-day symposium on the management of problems in Arab cities with special reference to demographic trends. The event, organized by the Riyadh-based Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI) to map out a comprehensive development plan for future Arab cities, will begin on Nov. 10.
“This symposium will evaluate the challenges and opportunities that globalization and information technology could pose to future cities as well as possible means of addressing them,” said Ahmad Al-Salloum, AUDI’s director general.
He said the event would focus on the role of e-commerce in urban development, tourism in Arab cities and efforts for environmental preservation.
The event will also focus on economic aspects of urban life in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. Saudi Arabia has set up seven observatories to map out future urban planning strategies. They are located in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, Dammam, Tabuk and Khamis Mushayt.
Al-Salloum said AUDI would hold another symposium on architectural heritage of Arab cities on Sept. 24. This four-day event will be held in Syria where the participants will discuss a whole range of issues related to architectural heritage including contemporary trends.
AUDI’s role is to improve the standard of life in Arab cities without compromising their Arab identity, historical characteristics and heritage. It has drawn up a plan to identify problems confronting Arab cities and municipalities.
Al-Salloum said AUDI was involved in several research projects, especially in economic, social, technical, physical and environmental areas. The AUDI, he said, has published more than 35 major titles on life in Arab cities, urban planning and environment.
This is in addition to special training programs organized from time to time by AUDI on the request of member cities. AUDI is headed by the Saudi minister of municipal and rural affairs. Mayors of Riyadh, Makkah and Madinah are members of the nine-member permanent bureau which governs AUDI. More than 400 cities and towns from 22 Arab states are its members.
