Dubai to host Asia Pacific Cities Summit (2025APCS) & Mayors’ Forum

- Under Hamdan bin Mohammed’s patronage, Dubai to host global cities summit to chart new pathways for sustainable, people-centred urban growth

- More than 150 mayors and leaders from 300 cities to convene at the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit & Mayors’ Forum at Expo City Dubai 
- Summit to discuss shared commitments and new projects to support cities navigating rapid urbanisation
Cities to introduce major initiatives; event to spotlight trade and investment opportunities for businesses in high-growth urban markets 

Reem Al Hashimy: We are honoured to once again welcome the world to Dubai, building on Expo City’s legacy as a platform to address the world’s greatest challenges

Abdulla Al Basti: Dubai is a symbol of both global cooperation and continuous progress – a city that prioritises sustainability, human-centric planning, world-class governance and knowledge sharing

As urbanisation intensifies around the world, global leaders at the forefront of shaping cities are set to gather in Dubai this month for the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit (2025APCS) & Mayors’ Forum, hosted by Expo City Dubai. The summit aims to turn ideas into impact with a raft of new announcements designed to make cities – vital catalysts for investment, innovation and progress – more liveable, efficient and resilient. 

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai – this global cities summit is one of the world’s largest, most diverse gatherings of mayors and city and business leaders. 

To be held at the Dubai Exhibition Centre from 27-29 October, 2025APCS will tackle topics ranging from affordable housing approaches and urban heat solutions to data-intelligent and nature-based cities, with policymakers, investors, business leaders, young professionals, academics and startups coming together to capture a spectrum of insights. Together, they will shape a pathway for people-first urban centres – with better transport, homes, economic opportunity, access to education, healthcare, nature and social spaces – that are also more environmentally sustainable. 

The summit will also serve as a platform for cities to introduce major projects, with the 2023 summit presenting opportunities worth more than AUD2.3 billion (AED5.6 billion). Dubai Municipality will unveil a set of flagship projects and strategic launches at the event, aimed at boosting urban sustainability, advancing smart infrastructure, accelerating digital transformation and fostering new avenues of intercity collaboration locally and internationally, underscoring Dubai’s commitment to leadership in urban planning and its forward-looking development agenda. The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will also announce its procurement programme.  

Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and CEO of Expo City Dubai Authority, said: “From an exceptional World Expo to an impactful international climate summit, we are honoured to once again welcome the world to Dubai, building on Expo City’s legacy as a convener and a platform to address the world’s greatest challenges – a space where cities are crucial contributors. This diverse gathering of mayors, city leaders and visionaries is an opportunity to balance innovation with inherited wisdom, technology with nature, and commercial viability with sustainable growth, charting a new way forward for a global community of urban centres.” 

His Excellency Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai, said: “Dubai is a symbol of both global cooperation and continuous progress – a city that prioritises sustainable development, human-centric urban planning, world-class governance models and knowledge sharing. We recognise the potential of new partnerships and collaboration opportunities to ensure cities around the world are well-positioned to successfully tackle the complexities of rapid urbanisation. This important summit will take our collective ambition forward, galvanising action and advancing solutions that will directly benefit urban populations, and beyond.” 

Their Excellencies, together with Adrian Schrinner, Lord Mayor of Brisbane, will welcome delegates to the summit. The Government of Dubai will participate with a pavilion that embodies the city’s visionary journey, where the achievements of today inspire a brighter, more innovative future for the world. Key entities – including Dubai Police, Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Municipality, Dubai Digital Authority, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) and Dubai Future Foundation will share their stories of the emirate and its rise as a global city. 

Mayors and city governors from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia and the Americas, including from Abuja, Nigeria; Fortaleza, Brazil; Jaipur, India; Karachi, Pakistan; Montepellier, France; and Rabat, Morocco, will share their insights. They will be joined by speakers including Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais, Secretary-General Elect of UN Tourism (2026-2030) – the first woman to hold the position; Her Excellency Dr. Nawal Al Hosany, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); and Jeong-kee Kim, Secretary-General of WeGo (World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization), Seoul, Republic of Korea. Trailblazing South African architect Sumayya Vally, and Mo Gawdat, expert on artificial intelligence and happiness, are also among the keynote speakers.

Discussions throughout the event will be informed by the recently released 2025 Urban Readiness Report, developed by Expo City in partnership with YouGov. The report highlights the dilemma city leaders across the world face: balancing the immediate need to deliver essential services with investing in long-term resilience to cope with rapid urbanisation, all while contending with limited funding and governance gaps.

The dedicated Dubai Real Estate Business Forum, held in partnership with the Dubai Land Department, will explore how land use, infrastructure and real estate development serve both economic ambition and human wellbeing – underscoring real estate’s role as one of the most under-leveraged tools for delivering equity, resilience and long-term value in cities. 

Behind closed doors, the Mayors’ Forum, sponsored by Dubai Municipality and facilitated by the Milken Institute, will deliver the highly anticipated Mayors’ Accord at the summit’s conclusion, summarising key outcomes and guiding principles agreed upon by mayors and a commitment to shared strategies for city growth, prosperity and resilience. Outcomes will also be shared from the City Leaders’ Forum organised in partnership with the Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI), where public sector leaders will exchange learnings; and from the Young Professionals’ Forum held in collaboration with the Dubai Youth Council, which will empower the next generation of global leaders (aged 18-35) to develop ideas and solutions for future cities. 

An initiative of the Brisbane City Council delivered by Expo City Dubai, 2025APCS is the first Asia Pacific Cities Summit & Mayors’ Forum to be hosted in the Middle East region. More than 150 mayors, and leaders from 300-plus cities from around the world, are registered to attend the summit.