Dubai to host ARABIANCOAST 2005 conference in November

It was announced at a press conference today by Eng. Rashad Bukhash, Director of General Projects Department at Dubai Municipality and chairman of the organizing committee for the event.

"Worldwide, there has been a mass migration to the coastal zone, with now more than half of the world's population living within 60 km of a coastline," said Bukhash.

He said these densely populated world coastal regions are environmentally vulnerable, being subject to increasing pressures from sources such as industrial development, urban expansion and the exploitation of marine resources and tourism.

"This situation applies also to the Middle East, and most especially the Arabian Gulf, where the coastal zone has for centuries been the primary zone for trade, commerce and human settlement. In more recent years the construction of Ports and harbours has been a key element for economic growth in the region. Recreational amenities such as beaches and corniche developments are also important elements for development of tourism in the region," Bukhash pointed out.

He said the opportunities for major real estate developments formed from land reclamation has been identified in recent years, with projects having a combined value exceeding Dhs100 billion presently under development in the Gulf region.

"It is universally recognized that there is an urgent need to integrate the many uses made of coastal resources and to develop them in harmony with the environment," Bukhash said.

He said the Coastal Management Section at Dubai Municipality has initiated the ARABIANCOAST Conference series in order to bring together regional and international scientists, environmentalists, engineers and coastal managers to discuss the latest achievements and developments of relevance to ensuring best practice in development and preservation of the regional coastal zone.

"This will be achieved through the presentation of technical papers that will be selected from submissions by an international technical experts committee chaired by the Municipality marine expert, Dr Gary Mocke," said Bukhash.

He said the meeting will also provide a platform for discussion on coastal impact problems and remedial solutions, including the presentation of case studies of relevance to the region.

Bukhash added that there will be particular emphasis on building collaborative linkages between stakeholders, agencies, programs and professionals working in the region to ensure universal adoption of best practice.

An important feature of the Conference will be the presentation of extended key note lecturers by world experts on each of the main conference themes, he said.

"Presentations by experts from countries such as The Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, the United States, Spain, Australia, South Africa, Scotland and England will provide a truly international perspective. These presentations will give an introduction and overview of the theme, in addition to latest findings, making the conference suitable for attendance by experienced practitioners as well as non-specialist delegates such as coastal stakeholders and non-governmental organizations," said Bukhash.

He said submissions of abstracts for technical papers to be presented at ARABIANCOAST 2005 are being accepted until the end of July, with submissions from over 20 different countries already received.

A technical trade exhibition will be held along side the main conference, which will also include a site visit to coastal zone projects of interest in the region, said Bukhash.

Recognizing the importance of the Conference it has been endorsed and co-sponsored by the prestigious International Association of Hydraulic Research (IAHR) as well as a number of regional organization, he said.

Bukhash said Dubai Municipality expects that this will be the first in a series of such conferences aimed at ensuring environmental and economic sustainability for the coastal zone of the Middles East and the Arabian Gulf.

For any further information concerning the conference please contact Mr. Khalid Al Zahed, Head of the Coastal Management Section and vice chairman of the Organizing Committee.