Mohamed Juma: GCC countries among most urbanized regions in world

The real challenge of modern urban development is creating integrated communities, Mohamed Juma, Engineer, Advisor for Housing and Development Initiatives at the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, said at a training event using the Asia-Pacific Urban Agenda Platform (AP-UAP) at WUF13 in Baku, Report informs.

According to him, the real challenge of modern urban development is creating integrated communities that are affordable, climate-resilient, connected, data-driven, and capable of ensuring long-term quality of life.

"The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the broader Middle East and North Africa region are experiencing rapid urbanization at a scale and pace never seen before. According to UN data, GCC countries are among the most urbanized regions in the world, with urbanization rates exceeding 85%, and some countries are experiencing nearly 100% urban population growth," he said.

Juma emphasized that these processes reflect not only economic and demographic growth but also the growing responsibility of public institutions to ensure inclusive, sustainable, and balanced urban development.

"At the same time, despite significant progress in the region, development disparities persist in a number of Middle East and North African countries, particularly in areas such as housing affordability, infrastructure readiness, institutional capacity, and climate resilience," he noted.