Doha: Minister of Municipality H E Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie has said that all Qatari cities have witnessed comprehensive development and urban renaissance in recent years, striking a balance between keeping pace with the developments of the modern era and preserving the authentic Qatari identity and heritage, as well as the environment and sustainability.
He was speaking to mark the Arab City Day, which falls on March 15 of every year to commemorate the establishment of the Arab Towns Organization in 1967.
The most prominent successes achieved by the municipalities during the recent period is that all Qatari cities have been awarded the title Healthy City from the World Health Organization (WHO), making Qatar the first country in the Middle East region to receive this title. Six Qatari cities have also been awarded membership in the Unesco Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC).
Also, Al Wakra city won the Unesco Award for Learning Cities for the year 2021, and Al Daayen city won the Arab Socially Responsible City Award for the year 2023, after being selected by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility, in recognition of its efforts in establishing distinguished practices in achieving social responsibility and sustainable development.
The Minister added that these achievements and successes of the Qatari cities come as a culmination of the great efforts made by the Ministry of Municipality represented by the municipalities to improve the quality of life and improve the health and well-being of the population, in order to achieve the strategic objectives of the Ministry in preserving environmentally friendly cities with green, healthy and picturesque facilities, and within the process of renaissance, development and prosperity that the country is witnessing under the wise leadership of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The Minister said that the municipalities played a prominent role in the projects and services provided by the ministry during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which contributed to the success of this global sporting event whose positive echoes are still present in front of the world and will remain in the minds of millions around the world for periods to come.
At the end of his speech, he emphasised the continuation of the steps of comprehensive development and renaissance in all Qatari cities and raising the level of services provided to the public in all municipalities by transforming these cities into smart cities and working to increase the efficiency of digital transformation and automating procedures.
