UCLG-MEWA VISITS ADA AND AUDI IN SAUDI ARABIA 26.01.2015

On 20 January 2015, a delegation from UCLG-MEWA, composed of Mr. Mehmet DUMAN, the Secretary General of UCLG-MEWA, Ms. Randa AL SABBAGH, Project Officer and Mr Süleyman SÜRAT, from the Foreign Relations Department in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, paid a visit to the High Commission of the Development of Arriyadh in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

The General Director of Strategic Urban Department, Mr. Ahmed M. ASSUBAIL, welcomed the delegation of UCLG-MEWA.

During the meeting, Mr. DUMAN presented both UCLG and UCLG-MEWA and their activities through several publications and invited Mr. Ahmed M. ASSUBAIL to cooperate aiming at strengthening the network of the municipalities of the MEWA region and Saudi municipalities.

Ms. Randa AL SABBAGH presented the Committees of UCLG and UCLG-MEWA, especially the Committee on Smart Cities which was established in UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau and Council Joint meeting in Adana on 19 December 2014. Ms. AL SABBAGH proposed them to participate in the activities of the Committee and invited them to the first meeting of the Committee in Konya, Turkey.

Mr. ASSUBAIL highlighted the importance of local authorities in the MEWA region and stressed the role of the Turkish municipalities which showed good results on the ground these last years.

Besides, Mr. Fahad AL-ALSHAIKH, Industrial Engineer, and Mr. Eng. Khalid S. AL REFAIE, Director of Arriyadh Comprehensive Development Strategic Plan Update, made presentations about Riyadh City Development Strategy and Riyadh Metro Project for Public Transit System. Then, Mr. DUMAN proposed them to participate in the CODATU XVI Conference on 2-5 February 2015 topic of which will be: “Energy, Climate and Air quality challenges: the role of urban transport policies and countermeasures in developing countries and emerging economies” with the goal to present to the international participants the projects of Riyadh in the field of Transportation.

The Secretary General of UCLG-MEWA expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and hospitality and presented a plaque to Mr. ASSUBAIL.

Later, the delegation of UCLG-MEWA visited the Ambassador of Turkey in Riyadh, Mr. Yunus DEMIRER, requesting his support to promote the activities of UCLG-MEWA in Saudi Arabia. The meeting ended with the presentation of a plaque to Mr. DEMIRER by Mr. DUMAN.

Finally, the Secretary General of UCLG-MEWA and his team paid a visit to the Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI) and met with the President of the Institute, Mr. Abdullah Al-Ali AL-NUAIM, submitted the publications of UCLG-MEWA, asking for his support to bring the Saudi Municipalities under the umbrella of UCLG-MEWA and presented him the plaque of UCLG-MEWA.

Another meeting also took place in AUDI with Mr. Abdullah ALSUBAIL, the Deputy Director General of AUDI, Mr. Abdulsalam W. ALSULAIMAN, the Director of Child and Youth Program, and Mrs. Nuha ELTINAY, the Director of Urban Planning and Sustainable Development, who presented their activities, programs and the different subjects they are focusing on as projects. Mr. Abdullah ALSUBAIL added that AUDI wants to cooperate with UCLG-MEWA for the development of the cities of MEWA region, especially the Arabic cities which should take advantage of the experience of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, these 10 last years. Mrs. ELTINAY presented the different activities they are working on and events they will participate in, requesting the cooperation of UCLG-MEWA within the framework of its Committees.