Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council partners with Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority

In its ongoing endeavour to promote urban planning strategies and best practices, Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC), today entered into a cooperation agreement with Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), as the two entities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to gain and share firsthand experience on internationally recognized urban planning strategies, methods and best practices.  

The MoU was announced at the 6th Abu Dhabi-Singapore Joint Forum (ADSJF) held under the co-chairmanship of H.E. Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority (EAA) and Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Manpower. The agreement was signed by H.E Falah Mohammed Al Ahbabi, General Manager, Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) and Mr. Ng Lang, Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

Highlighting the importance of the agreement, which is part of ongoing collaborations between the Abu Dhabi and Singapore governments, H.E. Falah Al Ahbabi said: “Knowledge and best practices exchanges are key to developing benchmark urban cities and complete communities sustainable for the next generation. The MoU signed today formally sets a framework to exchange information and experience between the UPC and URA and will give us the opportunity to conduct in depth studies and researches on selected areas dedicated to urban development strategy”.

Under the agreement, both entities will collaborate to create benchmark urban planning policies and initiatives that are closely integrated with land use, infrastructure and transportation solutions. The mutual working relationships will serve as the ideal platform to explore and identify opportunities and cooperation to exchange best practices. The assigned objective for both entities is to further enhance the multi-stakeholder, integrative and consultative approach already initiated and that integrates and promotes the economic, socio-cultural and environmental dimensions of sustainable urban development.

Under the MoU and to maximize the knowledge transfer process, mutual staff exchange programs will be arranged. The agreement also covers organizing forums on urban planning and development that would pave the way for private sector companies in Singapore to participate in sharing and networking sessions with key stakeholders of the planning and development industry in Abu Dhabi as well as UPC’s active participation to the World Cities Summit that will take place in Singapore in July 2012.

URA Chief Executive Officer Mr. Ng Lang said: “The MoU provides a framework for URA and UPC to exchange views and experiences in urban planning to enhance each other’s planning expertise. It will deepen the relationship between URA and UPC and strengthen ties between Abu Dhabi and Singapore”. 

Both entities will collaborate to create initiatives that are closely integrated with land use, infrastructure and transportation solutions. The mutual working relationships will serve as the ideal platform to explore and identify opportunities and cooperation to exchange best practices.

“Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 has laid the foundations for benchmark regional master plans that recognize and respond to cultural, socio-economic and spatial diversity. In the post global financial crisis era, it is essential for Abu Dhabi and Singapore to continue to address the topic of “Resilience”  and ensure continuous diversified urban development and efficiency to remain attractive places to reside, visit or do business to share valuable experiences,” concluded Al Ahbabi.

The MoU agreement follows an official UPC delegation visit to the URA in Singapore, led by H.E Falah Al Ahbabi, General Manager of UPC in February 2012 and a recent delegation visit from the Republic of Singapore led by Mr. Ng Lang, CEO of URA to the UPC headquarters in Abu Dhabi.