RIYADH: The Arab European Cities Dialogue launched in Riyadh on Sunday, gathering more than 100 mayors from Arab and European cities, along with international organizations and development institutions.

Organized by Riyadh municipality under the theme “City Partnerships for a Better Future,” the dialogue focuses on urban cooperation, livable cities, the environment, technology and digital transformation, and municipal financial sustainability.

At the opening, Riyadh Mayor Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, president of the Arab Urban Development Institute, highlighted the deep ties between Arab and European cities.

He emphasized how these centuries-old dialogues continue to influence the construction, administration, and sustainability of urban spaces.

Prince Faisal added that while cities face both shared and unique challenges, the forum focuses on common themes aimed at building more human-centered cities that enhance quality of life.

Running until May 13, the forum is organized with the Arab Urban Development Institute, PLATFORMA — part of the Association of European Municipalities and Regions — and the International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities.

Riyadh’s selection as the inaugural host highlights its growing regional and global urban influence and its key role in advancing municipal initiatives and international partnerships.

Fabrizio Rossi, secretary-general of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, outlined his action plan: “First, we are building a coalition of cities and universities to create an academic curriculum tailored to the needs of cities and local governments.

“Our ambition is to launch an international program on diplomacy and city-to-city cooperation with five leading universities.”

He also emphasized investing in young leaders through the Young Elected Officials Academy, a program that equips them to drive local change. The next edition will focus on artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

Key topics at the forum included the transformative role of cities and addressing barriers to environmental, social, economic, and cultural sustainability.

City diplomacy was another focus, highlighting the value of sharing expertise and resources across regions to achieve common goals.

Yousef Shawarbeh, mayor of Amman, Jordan, said: “When we meet with city leaders, we find that the challenges faced by cities are the same, but their solutions must not be. We cannot transfer a solution from a European crisis to an Arab city, but we can benefit from the concepts used.”

Fatiha El-Moudni, mayor of Rabat, Morocco, discussed how each city brings unique opportunities for collaboration. “I must mention our work with German cities on energy efficiency, with Italian counterparts on waste management and landfill revitalization, and of course, with French cities on various projects.”

She highlighted Rabat’s partnership with Lyon on a sustainable urban mobility project, noting that Lyon supported the Rabat-Sale tramway from its initiation through its current expansion.

The sustainable mobility plan developed with Lyon in France is guiding preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2025 and the FIFA World Cup in 2030.

El-Moudni explained: “We’ve seen the impact on our citizens; it’s literally changed their daily lives by offering a clean, efficient alternative to cars, reducing traffic and emissions, and improving air quality.”

Rabat’s collaboration with Lyon exemplifies how north-south partnerships, built on mutual respect and exchange, can create resilient cities for future generations.

Emilia Saiz, secretary-general of United Cities and Local Governments, noted that exchanges between cities and territories have existed long before the formation of the League of Nations.

“This might be the first formal forum that we organize, but our relations go way back. Our movement is over 100 years old,” she said.

Saiz emphasized that the next step is not just exchanging experiences but co-creating solutions together.

“I think the worldwide movement of local and regional governments is actually ready to be defined together with quality-of-life needs. And this is something that Saudi Arabia is leading within the UN.”

She highlighted the important role of cities and local governments in determining what local services are needed to support quality-of-life growth, from investments to community services.

Talent, co-creation, and intergenerational dialogue are crucial in shaping these provisions, according to Saiz.

She also urged national governments and international institutions to recognize centralized cooperation as essential for multilateralism, saying a global network structure can develop concrete proposals for action.

“What I am offering is continuity,” she said. “I would say for United Cities and Local Governments, we hope that together with the Arab Urban Development Institute and our European section, we can shape the contents of this dialogue and bring its influence to our World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology in Tangier next year.”

POONCH: Residents of the town in Indian-administered Kashmir worst hit by the deadliest fighting in decades with Pakistan trickled back on Sunday, a day after a surprise truce.
Over 60 people died in days of days of missile, drone and artillery attacks that came close to all-out war until the ceasefire, which was holding on Sunday despite early alleged violations.
Most of the dead were civilians and the majority Pakistanis.
On the Indian side, Poonch on the Indian-run part of divided Kashmir bore the brunt, with at least 12 people killed at 49 injured, according to officials.
They included 12-year-old Zian Khan and his twin sister Urwa Fatima, hit by an artillery shell on Wednesday as their parents tried to leave the town.
The majority of the 60,000-strong population fled in cars, on buses and even on foot, leaving only a few thousand to brave it out.
Tariq Ahmad arrived back on Sunday bringing back 20 people in his bus as signs of life and activity returned to Poonch’s streets.
“Most who fled are still afraid and will wait and watch to see if this agreement holds,” the 26-year-old driver told AFP at the main bus terminal.
“Luckily, I managed to pick up 20 people from nearby villages who wanted to check if their homes and belongings survived the intense Pakistani shelling.”
Poonch lies about 145 miles (230 kilometers) from Jammu, the second largest city in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Hazoor Sheikh, 46, who runs a store in the main market, was one of the first few people to reopen his shop.
“Finally, after days, we could sleep peacefully,” he said.
“It is not just me or my family but everyone around finally had a smile yesterday,” he added.
“I nervously returned a short while back to check on my shop,” 40-year-old Mushtaq Qureshi said.
“Our families and neighbors were all separated as people fled to villages or relatives’ homes for safety. But we are happy to be back today and to see each other again,” he said.
Qureshi had left his home with about 20 relatives.
“Buildings around our neighborhood were hit but luckily nothing has happened to my home,” he said.
Rita Sharma, 51, said she was really looking forward to seeing five children from her extended whom she had sent away for safety.
“They were the first to call yesterday after the (ceasefire) announcement and declared that they’d be back home by Sunday evening,” she said.
“We hope it stays peaceful.”
Hotel manager Subhash Chandar Raina also stayed put despite “the worst shelling in years.”
“I feel sorry for those who’ve lost lives and belongings but thank God for allowing us to return to our normal lives after the worst phase in the region for years,” the 53-year-old said.
Raina was one of only two hotel staff who stayed back as they felt traveling “was risky.”
Abdul Razzak, 50, remembers fleeing with four children and two other relatives on two motorbikes with nothing but their clothes.
“It was our worst nightmare... We’ve seen our people die around us, so none of us want a war,” Razzak said.
Hafiz Mohammad Shah Bukhari was skeptical.
“We are not entirely confident that this ceasefire agreement will hold, based on our experience over the years,” the 49-year-old said.
“Every time India has agreed to such an agreement, Pakistan has ended up violating it... It’s people like us, the frontier people, who end up suffering and losing everything.”