April 27, 2015, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – The 3rd Annual Middle East Smart Landscape Summit 2015, held under the patronage of the Dubai Municipality, opens its doors tomorrow at Sofitel The Palm Resort and Spa, Dubai, UAE, with a stimulating agenda featuring presentations, panel discussions and case studies.
The two-day summit is produced by global conference organizers, Expotrade.
The summit will be inaugurated by Eng. Salah Amiri, Asst. Director General for Environmental & Public Health Services Sector, Dubai Municipality, who will also deliver a special address after the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Dignitaries expected to attend include H.E. Jean-Paul Tarud-Kuborn, Ambassador, Embassy of Chile to the United Arab Emirates; H.E. Gcina Dlamini, Ambassador, Swazi Embassy in Abu Dhabi; H.E. Abdulkadir Sheikhey Al-Hatim, Ambassador, Somali Embassy in Abu Dhabi; H.E. Francisco Javier Alonso Escobar, Ambassador, Embassy of Mexico; H E Jennes De Mol, Ambassador, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; H.E. Irene Florence Persis, Ambassador, Ugandan Embassy; H.E. Robert Noriega, Charge D’Affaires, Venezuelan Embassy in Abu Dhabi; H.E. Milos Perisic, Charge D’Affaires, Serbian Embassy; H.E. Marwan Bin Jassim Al Sarkal, Chief Executive Officer, SHUROOQ Sharjah Investment and Development Authority; H.E. Omary Mjenga, Consul General, Tanzanian Consulate in Dubai; H E Abdelkrim Belouassaa; Consul General, Algerian Consulate General in Dubai; H.E. Yibeltal Aemero Alemu, Consul General, Ethiopian Consulate General in Dubai; Perisa Kastratovic; Deputy Head of Mission; Montenegrin Embassy; Mohammed N Mashroom, Director General Projects Department, Dubai Municipality.
The summit is in line with the Dubai Municipality’s vision for a green Dubai and will bring forward innovative and sustainable landscaping solutions from around the world, creating an ideal platform for knowledge sharing and networking. Expected to host over 400 participants, the summit’s agenda features over 20 sessions on topics such as landscape design, architecture and construction, artificial turf, irrigation and ecological restoration.
Highlights of Day 1 include sessions on a range of interesting topics, including implementing sustainability across Dubai parks to be presented by the Dubai Municipality; impact of urban spaces on public health to be presented by Simon Oxenham, CEO, Convic; ecological restoration to be presented by Barbara Wilks, Principal, W Architecture & Landscape Architecture – US; use of aerial drones for landscape architecture to be presented by Dr. Mario Rossi, Landscape Architecture Manager, The Office of H.H.
The Crown Prince of Dubai; living systems in Singapore to be presented by Damian Tang, President, The Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects and many more. The panel discussion will discuss artificial grass and its use in sports and recreational facilities in the Middle East.
Day 2 highlights include sessions on branding national identities through landscaping to be presented by Kinder Baumgardner, President and Managing Principal, SWA; urban greenspaces and biodiversity to be presented by Dr. James Hitchmough, Head of Department & Professor of Horticultural Ecology, The University of Sheffield – Department of Landscape Architecture; benefits of using native plants to be presented by Andrew Anderson, Landscape Architect, Oman Botanic Garden, Diwan of Royal Court; use of smart technology in public spaces to be presented by Jaime Traspaderne, Senior Architect & Urban Designer, Arup and more.
The panel discussion will talk about creative greening of open spaces. Also on the agenda is a case study discussion on integrated open space planning with the case of Madinat Al Nakheel, Iraq, Basra in focus, to be discussed by Akram Al Mahood, Head of Urban Planning, Dewan Architects and Engi Jaber, Sustainability Manager, Dewan Architects & Engineers – Abu Dhabi.
The summit’s third edition is supported by Falconcity of Wonders, Convic, SLA, Sites International, Zeoplant, Grassco & Aratex, TigerTurf in association with Flora Engineering Services, Gulf Landscape and Irrigation Systems, Vision Project Services, Cape Reed, Gulf Perlite LLC, WT Burden Middle East, Global Light & Power LLC and many more. The exhibitor lounge will feature more than 30 companies showcasing the latest technology and products from all over the world.
Brad Hariharan, Regional Director, Expotrade Middle East, organizers of the conference, said, “The 3rd Annual Middle East Smart Landscape Summit brings together the world’s leading experts to discuss the latest solutions in landscaping from around the world. We are privileged to hold this event under the patronage of the Dubai Municipality, and we would like to thank them for their continued support. It also gives us great pleasure to present a platform to enable our speakers, delegates and sponsors to come together and share knowledge and experiences in developing smart landscapes for the future.”
For event details, visit www.landscapesummit.com