Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly chaired a meeting on Tuesday to review preparations for the 12th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12), scheduled for November 4-8, 2024 in Cairo. The meeting, which was attended by Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development; Sherif El-Sherbiny, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities; Ambassador Atif Salem, General Coordinator of the World Urban Forum, and several other officials from concerned ministries, focused on ensuring a smooth and successful event. Madbouly stressed the importance of coordinated efforts between relevant ministries to manage the event, including arranging accompanying events and handling the high level of expected attendance. "We need to ensure that all aspects of the forum are carefully planned and executed, from the logistics to the accompanying events," Madbouly said. "This is a significant event, and we want to ensure that it is a success." Ambassador Salem announced that over 6,000 individuals have registered to participate in the forum, while 105 companies have registered to attend the accompanying exhibition. He added that invitations have been prepared for dignitaries and officials from around the world. El-Sherbiny, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, provided a detailed update on his ministry's progress in coordinating with the Ministry of Local Development under the supervision of the National Coordinator of the Forum. These efforts include following up on the logistical and implementation procedures outlined by UN-Habitat, which are being handled by the organising company GCM. The ministry is also working on adopting the overall design for the forum site, designing the Egyptian pavilion in the exhibition area (which will span 1,500 square metres), finalising plans for marketing at Cairo International Airport, and finalising the design for the uniform to be worn by organisers and volunteers. The Minister of Housing presented a proposed program for the World Urban Forum, outlining the various sessions scheduled throughout the event. He also reviewed the overall plan for the forum site, including the location of the exhibition area, which will feature pavilions for participating countries and institutions, a registration tent, main gates, entrances to the hall area, examples of small exhibition pavilions, marketing materials for participants, and various logistical details for the forum. El-Sherbiny noted the participation of 102 international and local organisations from 49 countries in the exhibition, which will take place in an area exceeding 6,000 square metres. He also outlined the progress made in securing the participation of major real estate developers as sponsors for the forum.
