Under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, the 12th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12) commenced this morning in Cairo at Al Manara International Conference Center, Invest-Gate reports.

The forum carries the theme “It all starts at home; local actions for sustainable cities and communities.”

A flag-raising ceremony was conducted today to herald the opening of the inaugural day’s events of the World Urban Forum, jointly organized by the Egyptian government and the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) from November 4 to 8.

Attendees at the flag-raising ceremony included Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development; Anacláudia Rossbach, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN-Habitat; along with several officials from the Egyptian government and UN-Habitat.

This current edition of the forum, taking place in Cairo—a city blending rich heritage with modern development—holds significance in the realm of sustainable urban development. Notably, it marks the return of the forum to the African continent after an absence of over 20 years.