Dubai Municipality and UN-Habitat sign AI cooperation agreement

Dubai Municipality and UN-Habitat sign cooperation agreement to support artificial intelligence projects and techniques.

Dubai Municipality has signed a cooperation agreement with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to support and enhance the ‘Artificial Intelligence in Dubai: Pioneering Urban Intelligence for a Comprehensive and Sustainable Future’ project.

The agreement was signed during the World Governments Summit in the presence of His Excellency Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, the UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs, and Chairman of World Government Summit (WGS); and His Excellency Abdulla Al Basti, Secretary-General of the Dubai Executive Council.

H.E. Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, and Michal Mlynár, Assistant Secretary-General and Acting Executive Director of the UN-Habitat, signed the agreement, that seeks to accomplish the shared objectives in establishing an innovative environment for developing and employing artificial intelligence to promote sustainable urban planning.

H.E. Al Hajri emphasised the significance of the agreement in fostering and expanding cooperation in technical domains associated with urban planning and innovative planning tools. This demonstrates Dubai Municipality’s efforts and strategic plans toward sustainable planning, targeted at improving the quality of life and positioning Dubai as a leader in the use and governance of artificial intelligence in urban planning.

Al Hajri said: “We are pleased to sign this strategic cooperation agreement with the UN-Habitat, on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit 2024. This partnership will strengthen urban policies, programs, and the integration of cutting-edge technologies to produce beneficial results, thereby creating an advanced environment for artificial intelligence applications. The objective is to accelerate the resolution of environmental, social, and economic challenges related to sustainable and inclusive urban planning in Dubai.”

Michal Mlynár said: “We are excited to expand our partnership with Dubai Municipality and support the use of data and AI in advancing sustainable and inclusive urban planning. Digital technology has the potential to reshape the way we envision and build urban spaces. However, we should always put people first and ensure that we leave no one and no place behind.”

The agreement will be followed by the development of a comprehensive proposal for the project ‘Artificial Intelligence in Dubai: Pioneering Urban Intelligence for a Comprehensive and Sustainable Future’. This project aims to improve collaboration across several areas of work, including the creation of an AI governance strategy for Dubai’s urban planning and the implementation of AI-driven simulation tools to improve priority areas and optimise urban planning operations and services.