Dubai joins SDG Cities Global Initiative

Digital Dubai has signed the contribution agreement for Dubai’s joining the SDG Cities Global Initiative, under the umbrella of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.

Digital Dubai oversees Dubai's integration into this initiative, reinforcing the emirate’s position in advancing global efforts and shaping a comprehensive international approach that benefits societies worldwide.

Dubai's access to the SDG Cities Global Initiative was achieved with the active involvement of 13 local government entities, demonstrating their commitment to the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The entities emphasised their dedication to adopting the best global practices and developing innovative policies that contribute to improving the quality of life while preserving natural and environmental resources.

Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director-General of Digital Dubai, emphasised Digital Dubai’s dedication to advancing sustainability across all sectors, highlighting its strategic role in promoting the digital lifestyle, leveraging the latest technologies to benefit the community, and delivering an urban experience that serves as an inspiration to cities worldwide.

He said, "Sustainability has always been an integral component of our strategies and programmes reflecting the vision and directives of our wise leadership to shape a brighter future. We are proud that Dubai is one of the first cities in the region to join The SDG Cities Global Initiative, in collaboration with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. This milestone underscores Dubai's ongoing commitment to foster a sustainable and prosperous future for all its residents.”

Digitisation and modern technologies play vital roles in promoting the culture of sustainability and ensuring adherence to global standards. This initiative is not just a step towards achieving sustainable goals, it is a key component of a broader vision aiming at enhancing Dubai’s position as one of the most sustainable and innovative cities in the world.”

Younus Al Nasser, Chief Executive of Dubai Data & Statistics Establishment - Digital Dubai, said, "Sustainability is a fundamental pillar in Digital Dubai’s mission and its forward-looking strategy, which is reflected in the use of digital technologies and data to advance sustainable development goals establishing Dubai as a global model for future cities. Global experiences, with Digital Dubai’s journey at the forefront, have shown that integrating artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies plays a significant role in advancing sustainability. These technologies offer innovative solutions and services that reduce emissions and improve the quality of life.

Through this productive collaboration that comes in the Year of Sustainability, we aim to make significant strides in urban, economic, environmental, social, and cultural sustainability. The urban monitoring framework we have developed will allow us to accurately assess the emirate’s performance, ensuring that Dubai continues to lead globally in driving positive change.”

This accession reflects Dubai’s keenness to foster a culture of sustainability across all sectors. It reflects alignment with the future vision of sustainability and a strong commitment to the initiative’s goals, which include seven key areas: enhancing the quality of life through existing innovative projects, improving infrastructure, and providing better services to the community.

The second clause focuses on enhancing environmental sustainability through effective plans to preserve natural resources and reduce carbon emissions, thereby advancing Dubai’s position as an environmentally friendly city.

The third clause emphasises stimulating the green economy by supporting sustainable economic initiatives, fostering entrepreneurship and promoting innovation in green sectors. This approach contributes to creating new job opportunities and strengthening the local economy.

The fourth clause focuses on enhancing collaboration and partnerships among government, private and civil society organisations to achieve sustainable development goals.

The fifth clause involves developing an integrated urban monitoring framework to assess urban performance. This framework will enable the monitoring and measuring the emirate’s progress in urban sustainability through the collection and analysis of data using specific performance indicators.

The sixth clause pertains to sustainable development goals certificates for cities, as Dubai aims to achieve high levels of compliance with global sustainability standards, by perusing these certificates. These certificates will reflect Dubai's commitment to excellence in the areas of environmental, economic, social, cultural and governance sustainability, further enhancing its position as an inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable city.

The seventh and final clause involves producing the Voluntary Local Reviews (VLR) report, reinforcing Dubai’s commitment to transparency and accountability in achieving the sustainable development goals. This report will allow Dubai to showcase its progress, share achievements and challenges with the international community, and foster greater cooperation and knowledge exchange.

To achieve the objectives of this accession, Dubai is implementing a set of plans and strategies, including the Dubai Urban Plan 2040, which outlines a comprehensive approach to sustainable urban development, emphasising a human-centred focus aimed at improving the quality of life and boosting the emirate’s global competitiveness.

Moreover, The Dubai Economic and Social Agenda 33 aims to drive comprehensive economic and social development by improving the quality of life in Dubai and promoting sustainability. This agenda aligns with the global sustainable development goals.

Digital Dubai, in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union and the United Nations International Computing Centre, launched the "Discovering the CityVerse” initiative, which is a joint global initiative that aims to leverage the role of innovation and virtual technologies in realising the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.

WAM