The third edition of Arab Future Cities Summit 2014 will be hosted by the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning (MMUP) on April 7 and 8 at The Ritz-Carlton Doha.
Representing MMUP, Dr Hossam Samir Ibrahim, Urban and Environmental Planning expert, will present the physical and spatial planning policy and strategy as part of the Municipality Spatial Development Plans in Qatar (MSDP), which seek to achieve the orderly planning and development of land and infrastructure in line with Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030.
A conference of more than 400 senior government officials, developers, engineers, architects and industry giants like Cisco, Huawei, Microsoft, Vodafone, Simplicity, Bosch, AGT International, Atkins, Ooredoo, Qatar Cool, Accela and many more, the summit is expected to deliver a concrete road map to Qatar’s ambitious projects lined up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, QNV 2030 and beyond.
The summit will include panel discussions, roundtable sessions, presentations, networking sessions and a showcase of solutions by 25-plus high-end international and local suppliers focused around innovative growth and technology for sustainable city
development.
Speaking on the three ages of smart cities lived through so far, Dan Hill, executive director of Future Cities and Best Practice at UK’s Future Cities Catapult, a leading global innovation centre, will share insights through his experience across projects in Sydney, Helsinki and Abu Dhabi, leading up to his present work on the interplay between core urban infrastructures, urban fabric and urban economies.
This week, kick-starting the first phase of transformation into a smart corporation, Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) will highlight smart grids, a way forward in modernising the electric grid system. Mohamed Nagib Omara, technical adviser to Kahramaa president Essa bin Hilal al-Kuwari, will speak on the corporation’s future grid plans to interact with smart homes and smart towns as well as on how it plans to integrate renewable energy and the utility grids, making the entire process sustainable.
The summit will also offer an opportunity to learn from city promotion specialist Michael Charlton, who has consulted for five Olympics, two World Cups and one World Expo. The international director to Rio Negócios, Rio de Janeiro’s Investment Promotion Agency, Charlton will explore how such events can act as a platform for effective economic and social development, city and nation brand-building, attracting incremental foreign direct investment and tourism to
ensure a sustainable legacy.
Other guests sharing their expertise include Meshal al Shamari, director of Qatar Green Building Council; Sandra Baer, director, Public Sector Transformation and Outreach, Smart Cities Council, US; Muhannad Hammad, manager of the Drainage Networks Projects Department, Ashghal; and Loay Ghazaleh, adviser to the Undersecretary, Ministry of Public Works, Bahrain.
“Qatar’s clear commitment to public spending, coupled with the most stable business environment in the region, makes it the ideal location to host a gathering of senior stakeholders committed to creating smarter cities,” said Charlene Corrin, conference producer at Expotrade Middle East, organisers of the
summit.
