Over 350 delegates will discuss the initiatives taken up with respect to Dubai’s Smart City Vision at the second edition of the upcoming Arab Future Cities Summit Dubai 2015.

The event takes place on November 2 and 3 at the Sofitel The Palm Resort and Spa, Dubai, UAE.

Being held under the patronage of the Dubai Municipality and organised by global conference organisers Expotrade, the summit will feature local and international speakers and an agenda of keynote speeches, case studies and panel discussions.

The agenda will include sessions on the latest advancements in all areas of smart city development, ranging from the Internet of Things (IoT), smart mobility, transportation, traffic management and public lighting to energy efficiency, smart metering and grid infrastructure, healthcare, telecommunications, automation, urban security and waste and water management, among others.

Also scheduled are sessions on Dubai’s Smart Government goals and a case study on the Dubai Silicon Oasis project.

The summit’s agenda is in line with the Dubai Smart City strategy that covers the three tracks of Smart Economy, Smart Life, and Smart Tourism. The critical element of innovation is also a key constituent of the underlying theme of sustainability at the Arab Future Cities Summit Dubai 2015.

Ali Al Suwaidi, vice president, Idama Facilities Management, said: “I think the event is a great opportunity for us as a non-profit association to really network and communicate with decision-makers. Future cities is a very important concept for all of us to think about today, how to have better cities in the future.

“And of course, it’s an amazing platform where we have people talking about technology, about infrastructure, transportation, the ecosystem, and we wanted to add a little bit of flavour about facility management because, at the end, we need to ensure that our cities are not only smart, but healthy too, which is what we tried to demonstrate through our paper today.”

Commenting on the inaugural event, Rasha Harib, project architect, Al Turath Engineering Consultant, said: “The summit was comprehensive. It contained product, service and research approach of different companies from developed countries, opened on insight opportunity of new thinking in design and construction. As an individual, I learned how I could participate in sustainability, green environment by implementing the smaller-scale aspects of smart living.”

Dubai’s growth is on an upward trajectory, with public and private sector projects valued at Dh17.9 billion ($4.87 billion) to 2019, including public sector opportunities alone worth Dh4.3 billion ($1.2 billion) according to industry estimates.

The UAE’s commitment to innovation is evidenced in its measures such as appointing a chief innovation officer in all government departments in line with its mission to be a global innovation engine. The seven pillars of municipality, ground-transport automation, police, national security and defence, utilities smart grid, travel and tourism, and retail are expected to power Dubai’s journey towards attaining its smart city goals in time for the World Expo 2020.

Brad Hariharan, regional director, Expotrade Middle East, said: “The concept of future cities is critically important for Dubai, with its plans for sustainable urban development.”

“A summit that promotes sustainability and seeks to showcase the most relevant smart city concepts, technology and best practices, is the ideal platform to connect government officials with leading experts for a mutual collaborative effort that is required. We are privileged to have the support and patronage of the Dubai Municipality for this event,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service