For the first time in its 28-year history, the Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS) and Mayors’ Forum will be hosted by the international business hub, Expo City Dubai.
Established by Brisbane City Council in 1996, the event is hosted biennially between Brisbane and an international location. Previous international hosts include Seattle (2001), Chongqing (2005), Incheon (2009), Kaohsiung (2013), and Daejeon (2017). The event boasts an alumnus of over 600 cities and is largely regarded as a hallmark event for the Asia Pacific region. The purpose of the event is to drive economic growth for Brisbane, with flow-on effects for South East Queensland, Australia, and the wider region. Brisbane is Australia’s closest major port to East Asia and continues to see a growth in international influence, with exports projected to increase by 41% between 2021 and 2031.
Deputy Mayor Krista Adams stated, “The award-winning Asia Pacific Cities Summit is one of the largest and most diverse gatherings of industry leaders in the world, and we couldn’t be prouder that it started in Brisbane. With Dubai being less than 8 hours flying time for more than two thirds of the world’s population, it’s the perfect place to expand the reach of this industry-leading event and connect Brisbane with the world. We are thrilled to bring this homegrown event to a global stage and continue to create opportunities for our economy to get even better.”
The announcement follows the success of 2023APCS, which attracted almost 1,200 delegates from 171 cities, including 118 mayors and deputy mayors and 140 young professionals. The event also included 180 speakers and 78 exhibitors across three days of city-shaping discussions at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, where $2.3 billion of immediate city projects were presented to delegates for consideration.
2025APCS will be held in the state-of-the-art Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai. Expo City Dubai has hosted global events like Expo 2020 Dubai in 2021 and the largest-ever climate action conference, the United Nations 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) in 2023.
Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and CEO of Expo City Dubai Authority, expressed her enthusiasm: “Expo City Dubai is proud to have been selected from a competitive bid of global cities to host the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit. A unique place to work and live, close to the new Al Maktoum International Airport and the Dubai Exhibition Centre, we are a hub for city and business leaders interested in collaborating for sustainable growth. We draw upon a decade of key insights and lived experience, from the successful World Exhibition that was Expo 2020 Dubai, delivered with 192 nations, to our urban development journey that has seen us transform into a city of opportunity, knowledge creation, and exchange.”
His Excellency Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai, added, “Committed to global progress on urban planning and smart and sustainable economic growth, Dubai is excited and honoured to host the 2025APCS. Cities are a catalyst for investment, for the wellbeing of communities and the productive exchange of ideas, and we are embracing the testing of innovative solutions to make cities more liveable, efficient, and resilient. In this way, Expo City Dubai is playing an essential role in the advancement of future cities in the region and far beyond, and the Dubai Exhibition Centre will make a natural home for city and business leaders looking to connect, collaborate, and drive positive and responsible growth for generations to come.”
Rowland Chairman Geoff Rodgers, reflecting on his long-term involvement, said, “Having been involved with APCS in various capacities since its formation in 1996, Rowland is very supportive of the Summit especially given the unrivalled opportunities it provides to and for small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in directly connecting with, and accessing, the public and private sectors in what is the fastest growing and most exciting region in the world. This is terrific news all-round. Dubai is one of the largest and strategically most important cities in the UAE; a region which is increasingly becoming a global economic and commercial powerhouse. This also shows the continual evolution of the APCS as one of the most significant ongoing business gatherings within the Asia Pacific region and world stage more broadly.”
2023APCS Young Professional Julian Stein remarked, “The APCS is a fantastic opportunity to expand your network while contributing your own ideas and presenting them directly to city and industry leaders.”
For more information visit apcsummit.org or Brisbane.qld.gov.au and search ‘Asia Pacific Cities Summit & Mayors’ Forum’.
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