ADIS 2025 Concludes With Vision For Sustainable Future Cities And Urban Development

The Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit (ADIS) 2025 wrapped up successfully, drawing over 4,000 participants from more than 100 countries. The event saw the signing of 15 memoranda of understanding and strategic partnerships. The summit, themed "Future Cities: Rethinking Infrastructure for Better Lifestyles," focused on how innovation and collaboration can create sustainable urban environments.

Maysarah Mahmoud Salim Eid, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre (ADPIC), opened the second day with a keynote speech. Eid described infrastructure as the "backbone" of a city's identity and its readiness for future challenges. This set the tone for discussions on urban development.

A panel titled Urban Excellence featured experts like Daniel Liu from MORROW Intelligence and Emre Arolat from Emre Arolat Architecture. They emphasised the importance of people-focused planning and cultural identity in creating vibrant communities. Public-private partnerships were highlighted as crucial for inclusive urban development.

In a Fireside Chat, Paul O’Brien, Chief Development Officer at Modon, discussed integrating nature into urban planning. He stressed sustainability should be considered from the earliest stages of development to ensure long-term benefits for cities and their residents.

Another panel focused on smart mobility with speakers such as Omran Malek from ADIO and Talib Alhinai from Archer Aviation. They discussed innovative uses of existing infrastructure for multi-modal transport solutions. Alhinai shared Archer’s vision of using electric air taxis to replace short car journeys.

Luxury Living and Well-being

A session on luxury development included Michael Belton from MERED and Kristina Zanic from Kristina Zanic Consultants. Panellists explored how luxury living now incorporates well-being, sustainability, and meaningful design elements. Kourosh Salehi noted that Abu Dhabi is setting its own standards in luxury living.

The final Fireside Chat featured Mohammed Al Suwaidi from ADPIC and Georges-Pascal Haber from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. They discussed integrating wellness into urban development, highlighting Abu Dhabi’s blend of cultural heritage with advanced technology to become a leading wellness hub.

Throughout the summit, speakers reiterated Abu Dhabi’s proactive role in linking quality of life with economic competitiveness through strategic partnerships and technology-driven planning. With over 70 speakers participating, ADIS 2025 established itself as a significant global platform for shaping future infrastructure and urban living strategies.

With inputs from WAM