This year’s Global City was held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court and Deputy Chairman, Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development (ADCED), featured an eclectic gathering of Ministers , City Officials and more than 50 Mayors from 40 countries, urban leaders, planners, visionaries, Chairmen and CEOs of major corporations. More than 700 high level delegates attended the event this year.

Organized by Reed Exhibitions Middle East, the Forum is hosted by the Department of Municipal Affairs, Abu Dhabi; the Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development and the Urban Planning Council.

Starting with a keynote by Richard Florida, the two-days event ran through a panoply of topics, including the impact of globalization, inner city development, the contribution of immigrant communities to urban success, strategies in public transport, and the significance of technology, local climate strategies, city branding and design, in 4 plenary sessions, and over 20 conference sessions and workshops.

After two days of engaging debate and discussion, the Forum was brought to an appropriate close on the evening of 8 April 2009, with a thought-provoking visionary keynote by Prof. Saskia Sassen, the originator of the concept ‘Global City’.