Expo City Dubai to host 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit & Mayors’ Forum

DUBAI—Expo City Dubai has been selected to host the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit (2025APCS) & Mayors’ Forum, one of the largest gatherings of mayors, city leaders, and business leaders from around the world.

This event will be held in the Middle East for the first time and is scheduled to take place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre from 27 to 29 October 2025. The selection process for the host city involved bids from various cities across the Asia Pacific region.

The event aims to bring together a diverse group of individuals involved in shaping the future of cities, connecting the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia with the wider Asia Pacific region. It will focus on creating opportunities for business and investment in sustainable growth and urbanization.

The 2025APCS, an initiative of Brisbane City Council, will be organized by Expo City Dubai with program and event advisory support from Expo Dubai Group. The summit will welcome mayors, city leaders, policymakers, business leaders, startups, young professionals, leading academics, and industry professionals from around the world.

Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and CEO of Expo City Dubai Authority, said: “Expo City Dubai is proud to have been selected from a competitive bid of global cities to host the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit. A unique place to work and live, close to the new Al Maktoum International Airport and Dubai Exhibition Centre, we are a hub for city and business leaders interested in collaborating for sustainable growth.

Reem Al Hashimy

“We draw upon a decade of key insights and lived experience, from the successful World Exhibition that was Expo 2020 Dubai, delivered with 192 nations, to hosting COP28, to our urban development journey that has seen us transform into a city of opportunity and knowledge creation and exchange.”

His Excellency Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of the Executive Council of Dubai, said: “Committed to global progress in sustainable economic growth, integrated urban planning, effective climate action, and smart infrastructure, Dubai is excited and honoured to host the 2025APCS.

“Cities are catalysts for investment, community well-being and the productive exchange of ideas, and we are embracing innovative solutions to make cities more liveable, efficient, and resilient. In this way, Expo City Dubai is essential in advancing future cities in the region and far beyond. The Dubai Exhibition Centre will make a natural hub for leaders looking to connect, collaborate and drive positive and responsible growth for future generations.”

Running for 28 years, APCS boasts an alumnus of over 600 cities and is widely regarded as a hallmark event for the Asia Pacific region, powering economic growth and deeper collaboration across cities. Established by Brisbane City Council in 1996, APCS is hosted biennially between Brisbane and an international location. Previous international hosts include Seattle (2001), Chongqing (2005), Incheon (2009), Kaohsiung (2013) and Daejeon (2017).

The 2023APCS in Brisbane, Australia, saw AUD 2.3 billion (approximately AED 5.6 billion) of immediate city projects presented to delegates for consideration. It attracted more than 1,000 delegates from 171 cities, including 118 mayors and deputy mayors and 140 young professionals. Over three days, it featured 180 speakers and 78 exhibitors.

Krista Adams, Deputy Mayor of Brisbane City, said: “The award-winning Asia Pacific Cities Summit is one of the world's largest and most diverse gatherings of industry leaders. We couldn’t be prouder that it started in Brisbane. With Dubai less than eight hours of flying time for more than two-thirds of the world’s population, it’s the perfect place to expand the reach of this industry-leading event and connect Brisbane with the world. We are thrilled to bring this homegrown event to a global stage and continue to create opportunities for our economy to get even better.”

The 2025 edition builds on Expo City’s inaugural Sustainable Cities in Action Forum 2024, which shared innovations and solutions and explored ways to catalyse positive urban development across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.