UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 5, 2019. The solemn closing ceremony for the UN-Habitat World Cities Day took place at Yekaterinburg EXPO Congress Hall on October 31, 2019, the town council’s website states.

The Executive Director at UN-Habitat Maimunah Mohd Sharif commented on the event’s geographical diversity: more than 650 people from 42 different countries attended the forum.

On behalf of the Untied Nations’ Secretary-General, Maimunah Mohd Sharif thanked Mayor of Yekaterinburg Alexander Vysokinsky for the memorable ambience of the World Cities Day and said Yekaterinburg was the perfect choice as the summit venue.

Mayor of Yekaterinburg thanked Maimunah Mohd Sharif for the honor and stressed the importance of the event.

It took a year to prepare for the event that came to an end on October 31, Vysokinsky said. He thanked all the speakers at sectional meetings and panel discussions for sharing their experience. This experience-sharing is crucial for Yekaterinburg, and a discussion on the development of a large metropolis is keenly needed. Hosting the event proved both an innovation and a great responsibility for the city, the mayor explained. He also said he hoped all the urban residents could have comfortable, high quality lives.

When talking about the World Cities Day moving from Yekaterinburg to Abu Dhabi, Maimunah Mohd Sharif said the former proved a point of attraction for both tourists and investments.

Should Yekaterinburg wish to host the World Cities Day once again, the UN would be happy to oblige, she said.