Award comes in appreciation to Mayors’ efforts in developing their communities
naseba, a leading business information company specializing in organizing high profile conferences and events, and the Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI) have announced the organization of the first ever “Arab City Mayor” (ACM) award, as part of the “Kingdom Expansion Congress 2009”, which is set to kick off on May 11th at Al Faisaliyah Hotel in Riyadh, KSA. Company officials have revealed that the award is aimed at recognizing the best city mayor for his contribution to the development of his community in the Arab world.
His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Nuaim, Former Mayor of the City of Riyadh and President of Arab Urban Development Institute, explained:
“The development of a community is a sacred mission that all concerned parties should contribute in. The role of Mayors is of high importance in monitoring the activities taking place and interacting with the residents to understand the different demands requested and plans needed, in addition to sustaining the economic and social growth and supporting Arab children and youth cases. Even though the Award will go to one Mayor, but I strongly believe that all nominees contributed effectively in the development of their communities and have played a major role in enriching their countries as well.”
H.E. Al Nuaim also highlighted the vital role that the Arab Urban Development Institute plays in developing and supporting the growth of Arab cities, where the institute is currently focusing on planning and organizing development and social projects and events partnering with international organizations and the World Bank in the Arab cities. The Arab Urban Development Institute is constantly following children and youth cases in the cities and is planning effectively to develop the skills and talents of Arab cities’ tenants.
After finalizing the needed researches, the judges have selected the nominees, Mayors of the following cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Amman, Mogadishu, Rabat, Marrakech, Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Tripoli, Damascus, and Aleppo. The award winner will be announced by a judge panel comprising of a member of the Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI) and a member of the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM).
With the fact that the prestigious award ceremony is taking place in the city of Riyadh, His Highness Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Mohammed Bin Ayyaf, Mayor of Riyadh, mentioned:
“The city of Riyadh has witnessed a huge transformation over the past two decades and is now considered one of the major economic forces in the region. Our vision is to make the capital an ultra-modern city with state-of-the-art buildings and facilities without loosing its traditional heritage and humanitarian values. Hosting a congress of such high profile will facilitate a knowledge sharing platform for supporting public private partnership in urban development sector in the region.”
The ‘Kingdom Expansion Congress 2009’, which will take place from 11th-13th May 2009 in Riyadh, will bring together key government bodies, ministries, urban planning and development authorities, leading infrastructure developers, construction companies, architectural firms, building material manufacturers and suppliers and technology providers from all over the world. The conference is considered of high importance to the infrastructure development and investment in Saudi Arabia, and provides a forum for city leaders to find solutions to the challenges they are currently facing and shape the future of the MENA region.
Commenting on this occasion, Prachi Dawar, Event Project Director, naseba said:
“In an event of such high profile, there is no better way to start other than awarding the Mayors who have contributed effectively in developing their communities. The award winner will be selected based on many aspects such as vision, leadership style, initiatives, management capabilities and social & economic development”.
