Cities are major incubators of culture and creativity

Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairwoman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, visited the World Cities Summit, which kicked off yesterday, in Expo City Dubai. During the visit, Her Highness inspected some of the platforms of the participating entities, and was briefed on the most prominent solutions and initiatives presented in the areas of sustainable urban planning and urban resilience.

Her Highness’s tour included a visit to the Dubai Government platform, which reviewed the emirate’s latest projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life and smart transformation. The tour also included the platform of the Australian city of Brisbane. During the tour, Her Highness was keen to learn about the strategies of global cities in confronting the challenges of population growth and climate change, and she attended part of the Young Professionals Forum.

During the visit, Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum emphasized the essential role of cities for cultural blending and engines of creativity, and said: “The value of the World Cities Summit goes beyond just being a platform for economic dialogue and urban planning; It is a celebration of cities as the great incubators of culture and innovation. Cities are places where the world meets, and become a true source of creative ideas and a space for cultural interaction that enriches the human experience. There is no doubt that successful and effective city planning is not complete without linking economic development with human development.”

Her Highness noted Dubai’s strategic direction towards building a unique model of cities that is not limited to being smart and economically sustainable, but also thriving culturally and creatively, which enhances its position as a global center for creativity. Her Highness pointed out that the World Cities Summit is an ideal platform for exchanging experiences that serve this ambitious goal.

On the sidelines of the summit, Her Highness met with the Governor of Tokyo in Japan, Yuriko Koike, where the two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation and partnership between the cities of Dubai and Tokyo, and reviewed opportunities to develop relations in the developmental, creative and knowledge fields. The meeting was attended by the Director General of the Community Development Authority in Dubai, Hessa Buhumaid, the Director General of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Hala Badri, and the Director General of Dubai Municipality, Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita. On the Japanese side, the Director-General of the Prefectural Planning and Policy Office, Akira Sato, and the Prefectural Special Advisor for International Affairs, Atsushi Kuwabara, along with a number of senior officials.