Dubai Holding sponsors the first-ever World Cities Forum 2005

The world's leading gathering of experts on urban development and planning is being organised by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in association with the World Bank. ULI is a non-profit, education and research organisation, recognised worldwide as the leading voice for encouraging development of sustainable cities.

Saeed Al Muntafiq, head of the delegation is leading a high-level Dubai Holding delegation to the Forum. Members include Soud Ba'alawy, CEO of Dubai Investment Group; Salem bin Dasmal, CEO of Dubailand and Mohammad Binbrek, Chief Administrative Officer of Dubai Properties.

Saeed Al Muntafiq, Chief Marketing Officer of Dubai Holding, pointed out that the World Cities Forum is a unique, high-level, invitation-only event that will bring together world leaders who are shaping the social, physical and economic future of cities. This diversified mix of city thinkers - writers, academics, social and civic leaders, property owners and investors - will come together with the hope of creating a blueprint for those committed to building better cities.

He said these points will form basis of his address at the World Cities Forum, whose goal is to build an urban agenda that will define key working principles and lay a foundation to better develop business strategies. The Forum will be a dynamic, interactive, and proactive mix of thought-provoking presentations, in-depth small group discussions, case studies, and roundtable debates.

'The Davos-like summit will bring 200 industry and government leaders together to help shape the global urban agenda. The results of the Forum will be distilled to serve as a foundation for building better cities. Leading civic, cultural and urban decision-makers have been invited to participate in the World Cities Forum and be part of an international discussion on the forces that shape the world's cities, and their own businesses among a variety of industry and government leaders,' Al Muntafiq added.