The first edition of the Arab European Cities Dialogue concluded yesterday in Riyadh after three days of discussions under the theme “Bridging Cities, Bulding Futures.” The forum  was organized by the Riyadh Municipality in collaboration with the Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI), PLATFORMA, and VNG International.

The closure marked the culmination of a busy agenda featuring plenary sessions, workshops, and roundtable discussions that addressed key challenges and opportunities in sustainable urban development. The forum brought together high-level participation from mayors and city leaders from across the Arab world and Europe, along with representatives from international organizations, development funds, and municipal alliances.

The sessions covered various cross-cutting themes, including cross-border cooperation in the session titled “Beyond Borders: Transforming Cities through Global Cooperation,” climate action in “Towards Resilience: Climate Adaptation and Mitigation in Arab and European Cities,” and future urban planning in “Digital Transformation in Urban Governance: Insights from European and Arab Cities.”

The forum also examined how local actions can align with global goals through the session “From Data to Impact: How Voluntary Local Reviews & SDG Localization Drive Development in Cities.”

A dedicated session titled “Perspectives on Riyadh’s Urban Leap – CEOs Talk” highlighted Riyadh’s development journey as a regional model of integrated planning and ambitious growth.

In the “City Leadership Forum,” chaired by His Highness Prince Dr. Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, Mayor of Riyadh and Chairman of AUDI, city leaders discussed the forum’s governance and future prospects. It was agreed to institutionalize the forum as a biennial platform for cross-border urban collaboration. Madrid was announced as the host city for the second edition in 2027. Future editions will focus on topics such as economic growth, urban identity, digital transformation, quality of life, culture and innovation, sustainable cities, and risk management.

The “City Networking” session, on the other hand, emphasized enhancing cooperation among Arab and European city leaders through knowledge exchange, building strategic alliances to promote sustainable urban development, and fostering networking among delegates to ensure the forum’s long-term institutional impact.

The forum also showcased several impactful initiatives, notably the “Urban Financing Forum”, where eight cities presented development projects totaling over SAR 6.2 billion, directly engaging with 4 international development funds. This initiative aims to foster cross-border investments and connect municipal projects with development capital.

Additionally, His Highness Prince Dr. Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf held bilateral meetings with several European city officials, including mayors of Madrid, Amman, Damascus, and Turin, to strengthen international cooperation in urban planning, digital transformation, sustainability, and quality of life.

The forum also saw the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). The first was between AUDI and Metropolis, signed by Dr. Anas Almughairy, Director General of AUDI, and Dr. Jordi Vaquer, Secretary General of Metropolis. This agreement aims to develop joint training programs, executive courses, and peer-learning activities to foster collaboration between Arab cities and Metropolis member cities. The second MoU was between AUDI and Fira de Barcelona, represented by Mr. Ugo Valenti, Director of the Smart City Expo World Congress. This strategic partnership, spanning three editions from 2025 to 2027, seeks to enhance the participation of Arab cities in one of the world's leading urban innovation platforms.

These agreements reflect AUDI’s vital role in building institutional bridges between Arab and international cities to promote urban governance, innovation, and knowledge exchange. They support Arab cities in tackling the rising challenges of digital transformation, climate change, and improving quality of life.

Hosting the forum for the first time in Riyadh, the forum served as a strategic platform to advance city diplomacy, support urban integration efforts, and develop sustainable solutions for shared urban challenges—fully aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and Riyadh’s ambition to become a global, sustainable city.

The forum concluded with a set of actionable recommendations to enhance city-to-city cooperation, improve governance and financing mechanisms, and foster municipal innovation to make cities more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.