A delegation from the Department of Municipal Affairs in a first World Cities Summit in Singapore
H.E Engineer Ahmed Shareef emphasizes the importance of experience exchange to reach an international standard of municipal services
A high level delegation from the Department of Municipal Affairs, along with senior members of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Western Region Municipalities flew to Singapore yesterday evening to participate in the World Cities Summit (WCS) 2008 hosted in Singapore from June 23rd to 25th. The summit which will focus on urban development and issues of environmental sustainability is the first of its kind and a key initiative for the Department of Municipal Affairs and the three Municipalities to cope with the accelerated and advanced development of Abu Dhabi.
The delegation will hold a series of meetings on June 26th and 27th with senior executives of the Civil Service College and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy to maximize the learning and training opportunities, in addition to exchanging expertise for the improvement in municipal services provided to the citizens. The engagement of the private sector will also be discussed in securing municipal services and encouragement of investment through outsourcing.
H.E. Engineer Ahmed Shareef, Undersecretary of the Department of Municipal Affairs said: “The importance of this participation at this level and number of all specialized sections of the Emirate’s municipalities comes from the event itself which brings together a large number of executives from departments of cities development and management around the world. The conference will address challenges that face most world’s cities, experiences in facing such issues, dealing and managing risks and sustainable development planning”. Shareef added: “This will provide, along with field visits through the five day tour in Singapore, a valuable opportunity for the executives of the Department of Municipal Affairs and the three municipalities, to examine other countries experiences in general and Singapore’s in particular, in dealing with the various issues facing modern cities. H.E Undersecretary continued: “The most important objective we want to achieve from this conference is to create a direct channel of communication with the executives and experts of such cities, so the Department can create a sustainable contact and adopt the best practices, in addition to applying scientific progress and knowledge that relate to cities, improving municipal affairs and quality of life”.
The delegation was headed by H.E. Engineer Juma Mubarak Al-Junaibi, General Manager of the Abu Dhabi Municipality, and it includes H.E. Hmoud Al-Mansoori, General Manager of the Western Region Municipality, H.E Hamad Al-Sharyaini, Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Municipal Affairs, H.E. Mubarak Al-Khayeli, Executive Director of Al-Ain Municipality in addition to 20 members from various sections of the department.
The visit acquires great significance as Singapore ranks first position in the world for free economy as well as its government being the most efficient and transparent. The conference will also address priorities such as outsourcing issues, sustainable development and governance which have been stated in the strategic plans pledged by the Department of Municipal Affairs and Abu Dhabi Municipalities.
