By NNN-KUNA,
Chicago : Arab and American municipal leaders meet in Chicago Monday to discuss ways to address urban challenges they face in economic development, education, and environment.
The US-Arab Cities Forum is an innovative and unprecedented assembly of mayors and governors from all over the United States, exchanging ideas and expertise with their Arab counterparts and paving the way for future transatlantic collaboration.
Over 40 Arab mayors and governors are attending from Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Municipal leaders, set to meet on April 28-30 in the University of Illinois in Chicago, will debate issues of economic development, improved quality of life, education and youth, environment, and sustainability.
The Mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, is hosting this event in collaboration with the Mayor of the city of Amman in Jordan Omar al-Maani and Mayor of Casablanca in Morocco Mohamed Sajid.
Chicago is a sister city for both Amman since 2004 and Casablanca since 1982.
The forum will also explore ways to improve access to healthcare, housing, and education, in addition to the role cities can play in a competitive global system.
Municipal leaders from the United States are coming from Aurora and Batavia in Illinois, Dearborn in Michigan, Issaquah in Washington, Kansas City in Missouri, Mobile in Alabama, and Oklahoma City in Oklahoma, in addition to municipal leaders from Canada, Pakistan, Russia, and Lithuania.
The forum will open a dialogue with experts on diversification of industries, public private partnerships, and foreign direct investment.
The discussion is expected to range in this three-day forum from ways to increase literacy, computer and language skills, and improving science and math abilities to creating green building standards, promoting renewable energy, and improving water infrastructure.
The Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid Committee will also brief participants on the latest preparations for this venture, competing with six other cities; Baku, Doha, Madrid, Prague, Rio De Janeiro, and Tokyo.
With 9.7 million people, Chicago is the largest metropolitan area in the United States.