Department of Municipal Affairs receives Mayor of Paris

Accompanying the Chairman in greeting the Mayor was H.E. Ahmed Shareef, Undersecretary, Department of Municipal Affairs and Dr. Abdullah Ghareeb, Executive Director of the Property Management Sector and other Senior Officials at the department.

During the meeting, the two parties discussed the Abu Dhabi - Paris bilateral relations alongside the scope of mutual cooperation in areas of strategic planning and the utilization of French expertise in the environmental and alternative energy solutions as well as their proficiency in city planning and sustainable development through exchange and sharing of best practices and know-how.

H.E. Bertrand Delanoë, Mayor of Paris praised the successful outcomes and achievements made over the past few years in the Emirate's municipal sector and extended his interest in further joint collaboration between France and the UAE..

While highlighting the City of Paris commitment and experience in alternative energy solutions, waste management, city image enhancement and land and property management, the Mayor stressed his own commitment to strengthening mutual cooperation between the municipal systems of the two capitals, Abu Dhabi and Paris. This is a re-assurance that France is keen on enhancing joint relationships, and aspires to play a key role in the development of the sustainable growth within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

H.E. Al Hajeri, on his part, emphasized the importance of expertise and knowledge exchange between the two municipal systems and the essential need to realize sustainable growth and elevation of municipal standards of services in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

H.E. Al Hajeri also touched on the experience that the municipal system in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi had in engaging the private sector through contracting services and focusing on managing those services from a legislative, regulatory, and supervisory perspective.

At the end of the meeting, H.E Al Hajeri suggested forming a joint work team that will focus on the development of a work plan to initiate the communication channels between the municipalities in Abu Dhabi and that of Paris, and Delanoë extended an official invitation to representatives of the municipal sector to visit Paris.

About Department of Municipal Affairs:
The Department of Municipal Affairs (DMA) commenced operations in May 2007, following the Abu Dhabi Executive Council's decision to integrate the Emirate's municipal system.

As a new government entity, the Department of Municipal Affairs was created to lead, coordinate and oversee three municipalities in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region.

The DMA has a regulatory role while the service delivery and operations are at the municipality level.

On the 5th of May 2008, the Department of Municipal Affairs along with the Abu Dhabi Municipality, Al Ain Municipality and Western Region Municipality embarked upon a new municipal services journey, with the signing of the historic Municipal Charter which aligns the DMA and three municipalities towards greater collaboration and cooperation.