Abu Dhabi's emphasis on sustainable urban development and its growing status as a global hub for business and tourism will receive a major thrust early next year when the world's top urban planners, decision-makers, mayors and international media will gather in the capital to participate in Global City Abu Dhabi 2009 on Jan. 20-21. It will have sustainability and global warming as key themes. The Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development (ADCED) and the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) are sponsoring and supporting Global City, which is being brought to this region for the first time by the event's owners, Reed Exhibitions. At a press conference and diplomats' briefing at the Emirates Palace here on Tuesday, ADCED and the UPC projected Abu Dhabi's emphasis on sustainable urban development and the emirate's growth as a business and tourism hub. Mohamed Rashed Al-Hameli, deputy director general of ADCED, noted that the central idea of the forum is that local authorities play an important role in the future of planet earth and must therefore place sustainability at the heart of urban planning policies. “The Abu Dhabi government agrees with this premise and is committed to sustainable urban planning. Global City Abu Dhabi will reinforce that commitment,” he said. “Abu Dhabi's vision is to be a true global city - to be an icon in the region for culture, a leading financial center and a major industrial zone, with a cosmopolitan population. Abu Dhabi will be a global city in spirit and substance”, he added. “We expect this event to win world-wide recognition for Abu Dhabi as an emerging global city, while enabling participants from around the world to discuss and share experiences and new solutions in urban planning and development. However, more important is the knowledge that we gain from the event, which will include lectures and workshops from academics, sustainability experts and visionary local leaders,” Al-Hameli further said. Falah Al-Ahbabi, general manager of Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) said: “Abu Dhabi has taken globally recognized, unique initiatives to support sustainability. The UAE capital is fast emerging as a global city, and the forum will help local and regional urban planners to gain a deeper understanding about urban planning issues and solutions. __
