Doha, November 07 (QNA) - The city of Doha has won first place in the Excellence Award for Electronic and Smart Transformation within the 14th Arab Towns Organization (ATO) awards. The results were announced Tuesday at the award ceremony held in Doha.

During a press conference, the judging committee of the 14th edition of the awards announced the names of Arab cities that received awards in different categories. In the Excellence Award for Electronic and Smart Transformation, with six participating cities from different Arab countries, Doha Municipality - City of Doha in Qatar won first place. The second place was awarded to Greater Amman Municipality - City of Amman in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the third place went to the Public Housing and Urban Development Corporation - City of Amman, also in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Regarding the Creative City Award with five participating entries, the first place was not awarded. However, the second place went to the Public Housing and Urban Development Corporation - City of Amman in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The third place was shared between Ramallah Municipality - City of Ramallah in Palestine and Gabes Municipality - City of Gabes in the Republic of Tunisia.

In the Sustainable and Resilient City Award, with eleven entries, the first place was awarded to Greater Amman Municipality - City of Amman in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The second place went to the Region of Laayoune - City of Laayoune in the Kingdom of Morocco, and the third place was awarded to Dhofar Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman.

HE Secretary General of the Arab Towns Organization (ATO) Abdulrahman Hesham Al Asfour praised the unlimited support provided by Qatar to the organization and its institutions. He commended Qatar's diligent efforts to ensure the success of the ATO's activities since Doha hosted the headquarters of the award in 1983.

He emphasized that the ATO's awards have achieved remarkable accomplishments throughout their history, contributing significantly to the common Arab work through the recognition of excellence in various fields, including architecture, environmental health, sustainable cities, electronic and smart transformation, and more.

He added that the organization presents honorary awards to Arab officials, scientists, and experts who provide vital works or execute projects that contribute to the development of Arab cities in various scientific, technological, artistic, and administrative areas.

Director of Doha Municipality Mansour Ajran Al Buainain expressed his happiness at Doha's first-place win in the Excellence Award for Electronic and Smart Transformation within the 14th ATO awards. He stated that this achievement is part of the continuous efforts to develop the city in various fields, aligning with the Ministry of Municipality's vision to enhance the quality of life, thus realizing Qatar National Vision 2030.

He emphasized Doha Municipality's ongoing commitment to keeping pace with urban development, population growth, and achieving sustainable development. He pointed out that the municipality implements the strategy of promoting sustainability concepts and integrating the community into it by implementing programs, projects, and initiatives in collaboration and partnersh

ip with civil society institutions. Doha Municipality is focused on providing a conducive environment for future generations, contributing to community development, and raising awareness of sustainability and green buildings, he explained.

Al Buainain highlighted several achievements by Doha Municipality in recent years, including Doha's membership in UNESCO's Learning Cities and the title of Health City in 2022. Additionally, Doha has established the Sustainability Park and other initiatives.

Director-General of the ATO's Awards Issa Rashid Hamad extended his congratulations to the winning Arab cities in the 14th edition of the awards. The winners included categories for Excellence in Electronic and Smart Transformation, Creative City, and Sustainable and Resilient City.

He emphasized the organization's commitment to providing full support and facilitation to encourage the participation of all Arab cities in the award categories held periodically. He pointed out that this commitment aligns with complete coordination and cooperation with the ATO, represented by its General Secretariat.

In a press conference, Chairman of the Jury Committee for the 14th ATO Awards Dr. Saif bin Ali Al Hajari announced that the committee held its meetings at the award's headquarters in Doha from November 5 to 7. The committee included members such as Hamza Abdulmotaleb Al Muhaisen from Jordan, Dr. Nayef Mohamed Saleh from Lebanon, Eng. Manar Fahad Al Hashash from Kuwait, and Salim Saeed Al Kalbani from the Sultanate of Oman.

Dr. Al Hajari explained that the selection of the winning cities is based on international and regional applications they have implemented, in addition to other technical criteria that include documents, images, videos, films, and reports representing the city's profile submitted for the award. He also noted that the committee worked continuously for three days, from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, to ensure transparency and credibility in the selection process.

The ATO Awards is one of the institutions of the Arab Towns Organization. It was established as a result of the seventh ATO General Conference held in Algiers in May 1983. The awards aim to encourage Arab cities to innovate and create, with a focus on contemporary architectural aspects influenced by Arab-Islamic architecture.

They also emphasize the importance of preserving the identity and heritage of Arab cities, maintaining historical landmarks and monuments, and promoting environmental conservation. Additionally, the awards encourage Arab engineers and planners to work towards greening and beautifying cities and implementing scientific plans to enhance the beauty and aesthetics of urban areas.

Doha has previously won 11 awards in past editions of the ATO Awards, spanning from 1986 to 2017.

Other Qatari cities have also won awards in previous years between 2008 and 2017, including Mesaieed Industrial City, Al Dhakhira, Al Daayen, Al Rayyan, Ras Laffan, Al-Wakrah, and Al-Shamal.

Qatar has been the host country for the ATO Awards since its inception, providing significant financial and human support to ensure its successful operation.

According to the institution's bylaws, HE the Minister of Municipality is the Chairperson of the ATO, and the Director of the Doha Municipality serves as the ATO president.

The ATO is a regional Arab organization specializing in municipal and city affairs. Its permanent headquarters are located in Kuwait.

The organization was established in 1967 when a group of Arab cities agreed to form it to support and enhance Arab joint efforts. Currently, it includes more than 650 Arab cities as its members.

The organization has seven regional institutions representing its technical agencies to achieve its objectives.

(QNA)