3rd Euro-Arab Conference, to be hosted by Dubai later this year

The Dubai Municipality delegation also included Dr. Abdelfattah Toukan, Executive Secretary of Dubai International Award for Best Practices.

The meeting was also be attended by Guido Lo Porto, President of the Sicilian Regional Parliament, Salvatore Cuffaro, President of the Sicilian Region and President of the Standing Committee of the Euro Mediterranean Partnership (COPPEM), Diego Cammarata, Mayor of Palermo and Member of National Parliament and Francesco Musotto, President of Palermo Province and Member of the European Parliament.

Others who attended the meeting included Jeremy Smith, Secretary General of Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), John Michael, Acting President of Council of Local Authorities and Regions of Europe (CLARE), Carmelo Motta, Secretary General of COPPEM, Ghassan Samman, Assistant Director General for Advertising & Foreign Relations Department at Arab Towns Organization (ATO), Franco La Torre, officer of Rome Municipality and Adil Hussain, Governor of Qalyubia of Egypt.

The meeting deliberated on the six finalized general topics of the conference that included planning for towns, local authorities and governorates, heritage conservation, tourism, environment, modern technology and transfer of technologies, transfer of best practices, public transport, infrastructure, in addition to wise administration.

The meeting also fixed 26 and 27 of November this year as the dates of the conference, which is expected to be participated by Mayors of more than 100 cities and Municipalities of the world from both Arab and European sides, in addition to international organizations and establishments. The conference will be hosted by Dubai, which is now well known for organizing and managing international conferences.

The meeting also agreed upon constituting the scientific committee, comprising of 12 international scientists and researchers in specialized fields, which will take up the responsibility of the topics, manage them, and select the work papers and researchers. The meeting also discussed the initial expenses for managing, organizing and transporting the participants and officials from Europe and Arab world to Dubai.

The meeting concluded by agreeing to meet regularly every two months at one of the European or Arab capitals to follow up the preparations of the conference and also to finalize the work papers, researchers, funding and participants. The next meeting will be held in Paris on 20th March.

Head of the Dubai Municipality delegation Al Shamsi also presented the Municipality memento to Salvatore Cuffaro, President of the Sicilian Region and President of COPPEM. Al Shamsi also accepted the flag of the city of Palermo and a medallion as a show of courtesy, co-operation and future partnership between Dubai and Palermo.

The Dubai delegation also had a meeting with the members of the Chamber of Commerce and businessmen in Sicily and answered their queries on the role of Dubai Municipality, its rules and regulations and the services it offers. A series of press meetings were also held to talk about Dubai Municipality and the 3rd Euro-Arab Conference, which were covered by the Italian print and electronic media.

The Dubai delegation also held a separate meeting with Carmelo Motta, Secretary General of COPPEM and presented him with an illustrated book on Dubai and its latest projects.

The delegation was also present on the occasion of signing the twinning agreement between the Governorate of Qalyubia of Egypt with the city of Palermo in Sicily Island. The Euro-Arab Conference is considered to be an important international event that will discuss future relations between Europe and Arabs under the title, "New dialogue for development and partnership" with a large international participation of personalities from Europe and Arabian countries.