-High-level meeting to feature workshops & panel discussions to tackle future cities as one of AIM’s six multifaceted pillars
By : Mohamed Ettar
Investments in future cities are predicted to exponentially rise, buoyed by the continuous deployment of a range of intelligent tools in governments and businesses, from blockchain to the Internet of Things (IoT) to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. An online study predicts that the global smart city industry will experience a compound annual growth rate of 13.8 per cent during 2021-2026.
It is against this backdrop that the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM), an initiative of the UAE Ministry of Economy, will be held from March 29 to 31, 2022 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo 2020 Dubai. Intense discussions on future cities will take place, being one of the investment meeting’s six multifaceted pillars.
“The challenges of the past few years have proven that future cities need to be smart and resilient in the face of unexpected challenges, and this is incorporated into the design of all The Sustainable City masterplans. The rapid deployment and integration of relevant technologies is an important element that allows these cities to function at optimal efficiency and sustainability” said Engineer Faris Saeed, Chairman of Diamond Developers, developers of The Sustainable City (TSC).
“Future cities endeavor to build low-carbon and climate-resilient communities. Adopting a self-sufficient model, TSC adopts the three pillars of sustainability; social, environmental and economic. We have already launched two more sustainable cities in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, with plans to announce more sustainable cities in the region and beyond,” Saeed added.
The upcoming edition of AIM will provide a platform for all stakeholders to discuss major challenges and opportunities. Businesses have to evolve and adapt to changes accordingly as new technologies continue to emerge. Investors are open about investing across portfolios, industries, and geographies, and, through our dialogues at AIM 2022, participants will align their plans and strategies to make sure that innovation, technology, data, and investments all lead to the realization of our common aspirations.
This year’s AIM is set to convene government leaders, investors, venture capitalists, private executives, and economic experts to tackle topics revolving around the theme ‘Investments in Sustainable Innovation for a Thriving Future.’
On the future cities pillar, in particular, the high-level attendees will look into the steady implementation of state-of-the-art technologies within cities to improve connectivity and enhance the quality of life of the people. Pre-conference workshops will be staged on March 28, 2022 to bring to the fore key topics such as the role of foreign direct investments (FDIs) in the development of future cities solutions, metaverse, new investment models, green and blue infrastructure, and digital twins, among others.
During the event proper, key speakers will join several panel discussions to share their inputs on the latest development and trends concerning future cities. Some of the topics to be discussed include ‘Investing in Wellbeing;’ ‘Leaving No One Behind: Promoting Interconnected and Inclusive Infrastructure;’ ‘Exposed and Deconstructed: Future Cities of the World;’ 'Smart Services of the Future: FDI and technology adoption trends;’ and ‘Integrated Mobility Platforms.’ The Future Cities Awards is one of the main highlights of the event.
The discussions on future cities at AIM 2022 reflect the UAE Government’s intensified efforts to plan and build smart sustainable cities.
