Muscat: The 4th edition of the Urban October Conference and Home & Building Expo is set to commence on the forthcoming Monday at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.
This event is dedicated to elevating awareness regarding the significance of sustainable urban planning and the active involvement of both the youth and the community in the urban development process.
This initiative was officially announced by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning during a press conference held on Tuesday. The conference will feature an array of leading real estate and planning projects within the Sultanate of Oman, offering a platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices in urban planning. Additionally, it will highlight successful international experiences and foster cooperation between the public and private sectors.
The conference will address four primary themes: "Youth Impact," "Entertainment in Cities," "Inspiring Cities," and "Future Projects." It is anticipated to host over 40 international and local speakers, review 40 working papers, and facilitate more than 8 dialogue sessions, thereby creating an interactive dialogue platform designed to exchange expertise and benefit from successful experiences.
This year's conference is themed "Engaging Youth to Create a Better Urban Future."
This event aligns with the United Nations (UN) activities during the month of October, including the commemoration of World Habitat Day, World Cities Day, and World Architecture Day.
Furthermore, it underscores the importance of empowering youth and their active participation in the urban planning process. This focus on youth aims to enhance their role as contributors to the development of sustainable and modern cities, as well as to the creation of integrated urban environments characterized by creativity and innovation.
An exhibition will be held in conjunction with the conference. This exhibition will feature 42 local and GCC entities participating.
The exhibition will showcase the most prominent future city projects, including Sultan Haitham City, Al Khuwair Downtown project, the structural plan for Greater Muscat, and integrated residential neighborhoods.
Moreover, the conference will welcome a distinguished assembly of eminent speakers hailing from renowned international architectural and consulting firms, including Zaha Hadid, Foster + Partners, Ibrahim Jaidah Architects and Engineers, AS+P, and Palm Hills Developments.
This event will also accommodate delegations from global governmental entities, alongside engineers, city planners, decision-makers, experts, and professionals from both local and international backgrounds.
As part of the conference's agenda, the "Footprints" or "Basamat Competition" will be inaugurated for the Sultan Haitham City Project.
Jamal Nasser Al Hadi, the Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, has stated that the theme of this year's "Urban October Conference" is to engage aspiring youth in the development of a superior urban future.
He further mentioned that the conference will support the generation of investment opportunities for entrepreneurs, thereby bolstering small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through the "Elevator Pitch" event.
The conference will also mark the launch of the "Footprints" competition, or "Basamat Competition," aimed at delineating the key features of significant projects such as the "Sultan Haitham City," alongside the Urban Planning Hackathon (City Challenge) and the eventual design of a technical product by a group of video game developers and urban planners to enhance the planning of future cities.
The fourth edition of the Urban Planning Hackathon is unveiled under the theme "City Challenge," in collaboration with the Urban October Conference.
This hackathon introduces an innovative and engaging challenge focused on the development of a specialized video game centered on urban planning for the future. The hackathon encompasses one of the three primary themes: cities for humans, sustainability, and green infrastructure. These themes reflect the fundamental pillars of urban development, offering a platform for creative minds to construct interactive environments that prioritize the future, considering societal and environmental impacts.
In an effort to foster the involvement of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the "Elevator Pitch" competition has been inaugurated in collaboration with the Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (ASMED). This competition serves as a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative concepts within the realms of entertainment, community, service, real estate, or commercial services, all of which are applicable within integrated residential neighborhood projects. The submissions will undergo evaluation by a specialized committee, and the projects that emerge victorious will be publicly recognized.
Furthermore, the conference will encompass the formalization of partnership agreements at Sultan Haitham City, the execution of usufruct contracts across various development sectors within different governorates, and the formalization of purchase agreements for social housing projects.
The event is designed to attract a diverse audience, including community members, students from schools and universities, interested parties, and the broader community. In anticipation of the conference, over 65 events will be organized as part of the program.
It is important to highlight that the Urban October Conference offers a unique opportunity to exchange international expertise in urban planning, review pioneering future projects, and explore the latest innovative urban practices aimed at constructing more resilient and sustainable cities.
Moreover, the conference is instrumental in fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors, thereby maximizing investment opportunities for both local and international real estate developers, thereby reinforcing Oman's status as a premier investment destination.
