Dubai Municipality announced a strategic partnership with the Urban Planning and Design Institute of Shenzhen (UPDIS) at the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2026, reinforcing Dubai smart city initiatives. The MoU aims to enhance collaboration on urban planning, sustainable city development, and advanced infrastructure systems.

The agreement reported a structured framework for knowledge exchange and best practices. Both entities revealed plans to align methodologies for resilient, efficient, and people-centred urban environments. The partnership builds on a Dubai delegation visit to Shenzhen in February 2025, exploring sponge city design and smart city applications.

Under the pact, Dubai Municipality and UPDIS will jointly develop and apply planning technologies, including transit-oriented development, compact urbanism, low-carbon planning, and smart city models. The collaboration also extends to AI, data-driven urban systems, and advanced spatial analysis tools to improve sustainability and liveability.

The MoU includes cooperation on next-generation infrastructure, such as 5G-enabled ICT systems, integrated underground services, and smart water management leveraging AI and big data. Annual joint reviews will ensure progress and identify new areas for collaboration aligned with both cities’ strategic priorities.

His Excellency Eng. Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said the collaboration strengthens Dubai smart city capacity and international knowledge exchange. Yu Lu, President of UPDIS, added that the partnership creates opportunities for technical exchanges, smart mobility solutions, urban regeneration, academic cooperation, and personnel training.

• The partnership supports Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan objectives.
• Focused on future-ready, intelligent, and sustainable urban development.

This agreement positions Dubai as a hub for innovation and technological application in city planning and governance.

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