2025APCS Partners
Our partners
A huge thanks to our partners who are making this journey possible. We are supported by the Government of Dubai as well as a series of major public and private sector leaders, all of whom are contributing actively and creatively to the content and programme of our plenary, workshop and field trip roster.
We are also leveraging the expertise of our global knowledge partners to enrich and widen the scope of that programme, bringing new data, global perspectives and tested solutions from cities and institutions around the world
Event Partners
Dubai Municipality
Mayors’ Forum Official Partner
Established in 1954 by His Highness Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Municipality is the emirate’s oldest government entity.
It plays a vital role in enhancing quality of life for residents, visitors, and businesses. With 14 functional areas, 150+ services, and 800+ daily operations managed across two sectors, four agencies, and 37 departments, it oversees urban development, public spaces, food safety, and environmental conservation.
Dubai Municipality’s goal remains unwavering: to make Dubai more beautiful, sustainable, pioneering, and liveable, every day.
Roads & Transport Authority
Dubai Real Estate Business Forum Facilitator
Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) is responsiblefor developing and managing the emirate’s transport androad infrastructure. RTA’s mission is to provide seamless andsafe travel with innovative, sustainable mobility solutionsand services to make every journey in Dubai a world-classexperience. With Dubai’s rapid growth, RTA plays a key rolein delivering an advanced, integrated transport system thatensures safe, smooth, and efficient mobility within Dubai andto other emirates and neighbouring countries. This involvesbuilding and maintaining infrastructure, overseeing vehicleregistration and licensing, and implementing global bestpractices and new technologies.
Emicool
Emirates District Cooling LLC (Emicool) is a leading districtcooling service provider in the UAE with 30 per cent marketshare. With 355,000 tonnes of refrigeration (TR) capacity, itserves more than 30,000 happy customers.
Digital Dubai Authority
Established by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President & Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, in 2021, Digital Dubai oversees the implementation of city-wide digital transformation policies governing all matters related to Dubai’s information technology, ensuring the city collaboratively achieves the vision of the leadership to make Dubai a globally leading digital economy.
Apparel Group
Apparel Group is a Dubai-based powerhouse operating 2,300 retail stores and 85 brands, offering a lineup of renowned names. The group has experienced remarkable growth over the past two decades, establishing a significant footprint in the GCC and expansion into international markets, under Founder and Chairwoman, Mrs. Sima Ganwani Ved.
Crescent Enterprises
Crescent Enterprises is a multinational company based in the UAE with 57 subsidiaries, affiliates, and investments across 19 countries. Strategic investments span ports and logistics, food and beverages, healthcare, life sciences, business aviation, private equity, venture capital, and business incubation. The conglomerate is part of Crescent Group, a family‑owned business shaping the MENA region’s economy for over 50 years.
VFS Global
As the global leader in trusted technology services, empowering secure mobility for governments and citizens, VFS Global embraces technological innovation to support governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. We manage the non-judgmental and administrative tasks related to applications for visa, passport, and consular services for our client governments, enabling them to focus on the task of assessment.
Dubai Chambers
Mayors’ Forum Official Partner
As the umbrella organisation of Dubai Chamber of Commerce,Dubai International Chamber, and Dubai Chamber of DigitalEconomy, Dubai Chambers empowers the local businesscommunity, builds and reinforces international partnerships,and accelerates the growth of the digital economy to cementthe emirate’s position as a leading global hub for business,trade, and investments.
Gratiya Advisory
Dubai Real Estate Business Forum Facilitator
Gratiya Advisory is a multidisciplinary firm founded byseasoned practitioners, delivering transformative initiativesacross the Global South. Leveraging deep expertise and aglobal network, it empowers governments, institutions andbusinesses to redefine what’s possible and include the wholeworld in their success stories.
Beeah
BEEAH is a sustainability and innovation pioneer, creating solutions for a sustainable future across environment, energy, healthcare, technology, and real estate. Headquartered in Sharjah, UAE, BEEAH operates across the Middle East and North Africa, driving positive environmental impact through technology, sustainable development, and strategic partnerships.
Exalogic
Exalogic is a UAE-based digital transformation andengineering company specializing in AI, geospatialintelligence, IoT, and automation solutions. With a focus onurban innovation and infrastructure optimization, Exalogicempowers governments and organizations to build smarter,data-driven, and more sustainable cities for the future.
Wilo
Wilo is a global leader in advanced pump and watermanagement systems, providing innovative and sustainablesolutions for water supply, wastewater treatment, and buildingservices. Through smart technologies and energy-efficientproducts, Wilo supports cities in achieving greater resourceefficiency and climate resilience.
Future OS
Beginning as the team behind the award-winning immersivedigital experiences for Expo 2020 in Dubai, Future OS deliverscutting-edge solutions that span scalable video surveillance,unified building management, AI-enabled data insights, 3Dvolumetric transformations, and streamlined asset and facilityreporting.
Knowledge Partners
To engage impactfully with city challenges and priorities around the world, we are proud to collaborate with a growing list of Knowledge Partners, who will co-curate and enrich the 2025APCS programme
AIM Congress
AIM Congress, an initiative of AIM Global Foundation, isa leading Middle East investment platform uniting globalleaders to ignite positive transformation through investmentopportunities, solidarity and collaboration – addressing globalchallenges and fostering public-private partnerships acrossnations in the region and beyond.
Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce
For over 72 years, the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commercehas fostered economic, social and cultural ties between Braziland Arab countries, aiming to make the Arab world Brazil’sthird-largest trade and investment partner through strategicpublic and private sector engagement.
Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI)
City Leaders’ Forum Facilitator
Founded in 1980 by the Arab Towns Organization, AUDI isthe first large-scale Arab organisation dedicated to urbandevelopment. Headquartered in Riyadh, the non-profit non-governmental organisation unites municipalities, researchers,and global partners to deliver training and research on criticalurban issues.
Centre for Liveable Cities
The Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC), established in 2008 bySingapore’s government, is a policy-oriented centre that bringstogether sustainable urban development expertise from acrossgovernment, industry and academia to share knowledge andbest practices with cities regionally and globally.
Charter Cities Institute
The Charter Cities Institute (CCI) is a non-profit dedicatedto building the ecosystem for charter cities – new cities withspecial jurisdictions to implement a new governance system.CCI advances legal frameworks, research and partnerships todrive urban growth and reduce poverty.
Dubai Future Foundation
The Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), established in 2016, is agovernment initiative focused on imagining, designing andbuilding Dubai’s future. Driven by foresight and agility, DFFoperates across five pillars – Foresight, Knowledge, CapacityBuilding, Acceleration and Experience – to build a globalinnovation ecosystem that ensures Dubai anticipates and leadsthe future.
Dubai Resilience Center
The Dubai Resilience Centre is a specialised government entityestablished in 2024 under the Supreme Committee of Crisisand Disaster Management. Its mandate is to enhance thecity’s preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities in theface of crises and disasters, strengthening Dubai’s position asa global leader in resilience and risk management. Throughinitiatives such as training programmes, knowledge exchange,and international partnerships, the Centre works closely withstakeholders including Dubai Police and the United NationsOffice for Disaster Risk Reduction to build safer, more adaptive,and future-ready cities.
Dubai Youth Council
Young Professionals’ Forum Facilitator
The Dubai Youth Council (DYC) was established with the goalof incorporating young Emirati voices aged 21–30 into Dubai’sstrategic planning and development. With a formal mandate,rotating membership, and active involvement in initiatives likesustainability forums and national youth strategies, the DYCplays a central role in shaping the future of the emirate throughyouth engagement.
East African County and Local Governments Association (EACLGA)
The East African County and Local Governments Association(EACLGA) supports local governments across the East AfricanCommunity. It promotes decentralised governance, regionalcooperation, and sustainable development through capacity-building, policy advocacy, and partnerships. EACLGA advancesclimate resilience, SDG localisation, and regional integrationby empowering municipalities with knowledge, tools, andcollaborative networks.
Eurocities
Eurocities is the largest network of European cities, uniting over200 cities across 38 countries. Representing 150 million people,it drives local solutions to global challenges – promoting qualityof life, sustainability and inclusion through advocacy, knowledgeexchange, collaboration and special projects.
Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy
The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) is the largest global alliance for city climate leadership, uniting over 13,500 cities from six continents and 147 countries to advance voluntary climate action and build a resilient, low- emission future.
Kenya Green Building Society
The Kenya Green Building Society (KGBS) is an independent,non-profit, member-based organisation driving Kenya’s shift toenvironmentally sustainable buildings. It advocates, educatesand certifies green buildings, promoting a healthy, efficient andsocially and economically progressive built environment.
Milken Institute
Mayors' Forum Facilitator
The Milken Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank advancing financial, physical, mental and environmental health. It catalyses practical, scalable solutions by connecting resources to those who need them and convening global experts to accelerate progress towards meaningful lives and address critical global challenges.
Observer Research Foundation (ORF)
The Observer Research Foundation (ORF) is an independent, non-profit think tank offering non-partisan analysis on security, strategy, economy and development. Headquartered in Delhi, with an office in Dubai, ORF advances policy dialogue for a prosperous India and an equitable world.
Terra
Expo City Dubai’s landmark attraction Terra offers an immersiveexploration of humanity’s impact on the environment.Designed to be net zero in energy and water, the building’siconic architecture includes 18 Energy Trees which helpgenerate 4GWh of alternative energy per year.
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
ESCWA supports 21 member states by promoting development, regional cooperation and consensus. Committed to the 2030 Agenda, it delivers innovative knowledge, data and policy advice to address shared challenges and leverage common strengths to build a prosperous, equitable future.
UN-Habitat
UN-Habitat, mandated by the UN General Assembly, promotes socially and environmentally sustainable cities through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance and collaboration – driving transformative change to ensure no one and no place is lett behind.
Urban Transitions Mission (UTM)
The Urban Transitions Mission (UTM), launched at COP26,is a global platform that empowers cities to lead net-zerotransitions through knowledge sharing and collaboration.It promotes systemic, people-centred strategies integratinginnovation, resilience, and circular economy principles. UTMaims to bridge research and deployment, enabling cities todevelop tailored, cost-effective solutions for sustainable urbantransformation.
World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGo)
The World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO)is a global association of local governments, tech providersand institutions promoting smart sustainable cities throughpublic-private partnerships. Founded in 2010, WeGO supportsmembers in enhancing public services, quality of life andregional competitiveness.
World Bank Group
The World Bank is a global development institution thatprovides financial and technical assistance to developingcountries. Its mission is to reduce poverty and supportsustainable development by funding infrastructure, education,health, and climate resilience projects. It promotes economicgrowth, institutional reform, and inclusive developmentthrough loans, grants, and expertise.
Smart Cities Council
Smart Cities Council is the leading global organization for Smart Cities, Smart Buildings, Strategies, Policy, Research and Technologies.
Smart Cities Council provides Members and Partners in the Public Sector, Private Sector and Academia with the education, training, capital, tools, use cases, networks, policies and advice to set their organizations and projects up for success.
YouGov
YouGov is a leading global public opinion and data analyticscompany that provides insights into consumer behaviour,political sentiment, and market trends. Using online panels andsurvey tools, YouGov delivers real-time data to governments,brands, and media, supporting evidence-based decision-making across industries and regions.
Atrangi
Atrangi, arrive by abra at the enchanting Jumeirah Al Qasr to enjoy the distinctive recipes of India’s culinary traditions, reflecting the creative spirit of Chef Ritu Dalmia — a master storyteller who brings flavour and heart to every dish.
Unusual & Unforgettable…Atrangi.