The Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) has launched a strategic partnership with NUS Cities, a multidisciplinary centre hosted within the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) College of Design and Engineering, as part of the DMT Future Hub initiative.
Through this cooperation, the two organisations will focus on key areas such as climate-resilient design, liveability research, mobility solutions, and data-driven governance. This will be achieved through leveraging NUS Cities’ expertise in areas including sustainable infrastructure, advanced data analytics, and green technology integration.
His Excellency Fady El Borno, Executive Director of Strategic Affairs at DMT, said: “Our work with NUS Cities underscores Abu Dhabi’s unwavering commitment to excellence in urban growth. By joining forces with one of the world’s leading institutions, we are not only bringing ground-breaking expertise to Abu Dhabi, but also accelerating our progress towards becoming a global model for innovative, liveable cities.”
His Excellency Kamal R Vaswani, Ambassador of Singapore to the UAE, said: “I am delighted to see this new partnership between DMT and NUS Cities. Both Singapore and Abu Dhabi have much to learn from each other in this area. We both strive to be innovative cities enhancing liveability for our people. This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Singapore and the UAE, and I am heartened that the year is starting off with this announcement. I am confident that it will pave the way for even more collaborations between our two countries.”
Professor Khee Poh Lam, Provost’s Chair Professor of Architecture and the Built Environment, Director of NUS Cities Advisory, said: “NUS Cities College of Design and Engineering is honoured and privileged to partner with the Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi, to drive our shared vision of creating a liveable, sustainable and resilient future for our people. We will adopt a holistic framework that is people-centric to develop multi-scale integrated solutions that are derived from ground-truth data input to deliver measurable performance output to meet the economic and well-being aspirations of individuals and the community at large.”
This builds on the previously announced partnership with MIT’s Senseable City Lab, a founding partner of the Future Hub. The research group, which focuses on the interaction between cities, people, and technology, is supporting the department’s commitment to fostering metropolitan growth, intelligent solutions, and enhancing liveability in Abu Dhabi through research, data analysis, and knowledge exchange.
Ranked eighth globally, NUS is renowned for its contributions to education, research, and forward-thinking solutions. NUS Cities, comprising a community of seasoned practitioners, industry leaders, interdisciplinary researchers and academics, has earned a global reputation for its pioneering work in planning, sustainable development, and smart city practices.
