Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), in collaboration with Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), will host the 2024 UCI Mobility and Bike City Forum, taking place on 18-19 December 2024 in Abu Dhabi, marking the first time the event has been hosted by the UAE, and on the Asian continent.
The sixth edition of the UCI Mobility & Bike City Forum follows successful events in Milan (Italy) in 2018, Paris (France) in 2019, Odense (Denmark) in 2021, Glasgow, Scotland (United Kingdom) in 2022 and Bruges (Belgium) in 2023.
The UCI Mobility & Bike City Forum is the UCI’s annual conference dedicated to the promotion of sustainable and active mobility, and cycling’s contribution to the global sustainable development agenda. The conference brings together the transportation and cycling communities, alongside representatives from the UCI Bike City and Region network, National Federations, Continental Confederations, event organisers, city representatives, cycling advocates and industry experts.
The 2024 edition will also be hosted by Abu Dhabi under its UCI Bike City Label, awarded by UCI in 2021, becoming the first city in the Middle East and Asia to receive the distinction. The event will follow a similar format to previous editions with a full-day conference on day one, followed by practical workshops and site visits on day two. A new feature in 2024 will be the opportunity for participants to attend a UCI World Championship event, as the Forum will be hosted at the same time as the 2024 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships, taking place from 17-21 December.
In addition to the 2024 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships in December, Abu Dhabi will also host the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, the 2028 UCI Road World Championships, the 2028 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, and the 2029 UCI Track World Championships.
The hosting of major events such as these are among a range of initiatives Abu Dhabi is undertaking to promote cycling across the emirate. In 2021, the Abu Dhabi Government launched Bike Abu Dhabi, an enabling platform designed to advance the development of Abu Dhabi as a leading global cycling hub and increase uptake of the sport as a means of mobility, leisure and sport. Abu Dhabi is also extending the emirate’s existing 300km cycling network to around 1,000km, which includes the Abu Dhabi Loop - a 109km segregated cycle-way linking key destinations around the city.
These cycling infrastructure developments, and other key cycling locations, will be featured during the bike tours organised for all attendees of the UCI Mobility and Bike City Forum on 19 December.
His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, Secretary-General of ADSC, said: “We warmly welcome everyone to the 2024 UCI Mobility & Bike City Forum. Having been awarded the UCI Bike City label by the UCI in 2021, we are honoured to host this event. Abu Dhabi has earned its reputation as not only one of the most cycling-friendly cities in the world, but also one of the most sustainable. We, with much support from our wise leadership, have worked hard to build and maintain infrastructure and communities that ensure cycling and sustainability go hand-in-hand, earning the trust and respect of several international sports federations along the way. Our successful track record of hosting and organising several prestigious cycling events - the most recent being the 2024 UAE Tour - has further cemented our reputation in this area.”
David Lappartient, UCI President, said: “We are delighted to organise the sixth edition of the UCI Mobility & Bike City Forum in Abu Dhabi, a major supporter of UCI World Championships for different disciplines. Abu Dhabi has a clear vision, master plan and strategy to promote cycling across the community and to make the sport accessible to everyone. Hosting the Forum outside of Europe for the first time will allow us to reach new audiences and promote best practice examples in sustainable development from the Asian continent. We are particularly excited to bridge the sport and transport agendas by providing an opportunity to participants to discover the 2024 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships competitions during their stay.”
The UCI Mobility & Bike City Forum is organised as part of the UCI's strategic commitment to develop cycling across the world as a sport and a sustainable mode of transport. More detailed information regarding content and speakers will be published by the UCI in the coming weeks.
