Dubai to host 'Opportunites and Challenges of 21st Century'

It was announced at a press conference on Sunday.

Eng. Mattar Al Tayer, Deputy Director General of Dubai Municipality said that the care given by Dubai Municipality to the tourism and trade sector of Dubai is compatible with its regional and international capabilities and stature.

"It originates from Dubai Municipality's keenness to have pioneering and quality in all its thoughts, in order to make the Emirate an excellent and innovative place in accordance with the general strategy of the government," he said.

In order to achieve this, Al Tayer stressed the need for making every effort to apply all the new and modern thoughts that suit the future vision of the Government of Dubai towards innovation and excellence in everything.

He said Dubai Municipality is considered to be the forerunner among local departments that endeavour to achieve the aims and objectives of Dubai Government.

"The civic body has the farsightedness to provide all the requirements of the Emirate as far as the tourist dimensions and perspectives are concerned. The Municipality also takes into consideration the tourism possibilities during conferences. Hence, the traditional historical buildings have been given evident care and all the matters related to them have been taken care of," said Al Tayer.

He recalled that Dubai Municipality had organized the first International Architectural Conservation Conference and Exhibition: Between Theory and Practice in March 2004 under the patronage of the Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Industry and Chairman of Dubai Municipality, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

It was held under the direct supervision of the Director General of Dubai Municipality and the Higher Organizing Committee, which spared no efforts in producing the best conference with a good image. The conference had attracted the attention and appreciation of all those concerned with architectural conservation.

Imbibing inspiration from the thumping success of the first conference it was announced that these kinds of conferences should be continued to be held as it will enhance the stature of the city. It also gives wholesome importance to architectural conservation by attracting the intelligentsia and a variety of expertise from different countries for exchanging thoughts and raising issues to come out with the necessary recommendations for constant development.

Al Tayer said that preparations were started early for hosting this important international event, especially regarding debates over the original architectural tradition of people around the globe. A special Organizing Committee has been formed to oversee the conduct of the event, which will be divided into two main themes.

Commenting on the themes of the conference, Eng. Rashad Bukhash, Director of General Projects Department said the first theme will be "Architectural conservation through modern perspective." Under this theme, different topics will be discussed.

The topics include policies of architectural conservation, concepts of sustainable development, problems of architectural heritage in the modern environs and their links with the concepts of sustainability, formulating strategic objectives for development and its relation with the policies of architectural conservation, strategies of tourist development in historic areas, public awareness programmes and popular participation in the operations of rejuvenating heritage, and the historic areas and their reflections on the formation of modern economic and social communities.

As for the issue of architectural heritage and privatisation, a number of related topics will be taken up for discussion such as the concept of privatisation and policies of conservation, the role of private sector, sources for financing development projects in the historical areas, mechanism of privatisation in the historical environs, positive and negative aspects of architectural conservation and information revolution like modern technologies in recording architecture, electronic technologies applied in the field of heritage and developing architectural conservation policies, educational programmes, qualifying technical staff, exchange of information, digital technologies and their relation with architectural conservation policies, economics of architectural conservation policies, problems of evaluating architectural conservation policies according to the economic dimensions, economics of architectural conservation in the developing countries, marketing heritage and guiding investment in historical areas and managing conservation projects-principles and objectives.

The second theme, "Protecting and Maintaining Architectural Heritage," will have presentations on strategies of heritage protection through valuable and original concepts, the level of intervention in the architectural conservation policies, modern technologies and preserving historical buildings, modern environmental treatment and its impact on the originality and endurance of the building-ways of evaluation and enhancement, modern materials and possibilities of using them in renovation and historical buildings preservation projects and open areas in the centres of historical cities.

The discussion will also take up topics such as modern experiences in the field of architectural conservation, evaluation of architectural conservation policies in the light of global changes, role of governments in protecting historical environs, experiences in rehabilitation of the architecture of historical buildings-specifications and concepts and global experiences in developing historical areas.