OUR SIGNATURE FORMATS | WORLD MAJLIS

Sparking exchanges across geographies and generations

Events

Thought leadership

Programme for People and Planet

Gender Equality

Youth

Check upcoming events and find out how to get involved in the Programme for People and Planet

Inspired by the long-established Emirati tradition of the majlis, our World Majlis sessions bring together thought leaders from all walks of life to explore today’s urgent priorities in a panel format designed to spark exchanges across geographies, generations and value-chains.

Launched at Expo 2020 Dubai, as part of the Programme for People and Planet, our World Majlis series has featured nearly 50 vibrant sessions around the biggest items on the global agenda. This includes the future of cities, the path to a more sustainable world, and the critical role of dialogue in driving global progress.

Our latest World Majlis session was held during the Sustainable Cities in Action Forum 2024. Titled World Majlis: Urbanising in Challenging Climates, the event featured an expert panel of mayors, city planners and urban innovators sharing first-hand experiences of climate-related challenges faced by their cities, along with real-world responses and solutions.

Event highlights

Sustainable Cities in Action Forum 2024

An essential gathering of thought leaders and practitioners driving positive change in urban landscapes across the MEASA region, Sustainable Cities in Action Forum’s mission is to provide solutions for transformative change to make cities more prosperous, equitable, low carbon and climate resilient. At our maiden event in March 2024, our World Majlis session, moderated by Andrew Tuck, Editor in Chief of Monocle, featured an expert panel of mayors, city planners and urban innovators who shared first-hand experiences of climate-related challenges faced by their cities, along with real-world responses.

Expo 2020 Dubai

During Expo 2020 Dubai, our World Majlis gatherings interrogated a plethora of topics, ranging from nature-based cities to the Blue Economy and lessons from Space for a sustainable Earth.

Read reportage and analysis of the full Programme in our Theme Week Insights series

World Majlis: Building cities that enable communities

We brought together subject-matter experts to explore the future of sustainable cities, inclusive community-building and urban development in harmony with the natural world. Held in the award-winning Terra Pavilion, the event convened urban planners, artists, designers, technologists and scientists to consider the complex and interdependent ecosystems that make up a city, ask how we define cities of the future, and examine trends that are shaping that future.