LIVEX 2026, Abu Dhabi’s inaugural Liveability and Investment Exhibition, continued today at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, moving from the opening-day question of what makes a city liveable to how cities deliver on those.
Throughout the second day, 15 agreements were signed spanning smart mobility, urban planning, sustainability, real estate and community development. The programme also saw the launch of new digital platforms supporting investment, urban planning and AI-powered transport decision-making.
The signings reinforced LIVEX’s focus on connecting public-sector priorities with private-sector expertise and investment, translating Abu Dhabi’s liveability ambitions into projects and services with tangible benefits for communities.
The exhibition has attracted thousands of attendees over the first two days, with visitors exploring initiatives and projects from government entities and the private sector across the show floor. Displays brought together planning, mobility, real estate, technology and community-focused initiatives, giving visitors a view of how Abu Dhabi’s liveability agenda is progressing across the emirate.
Day 2 combined Main Stage discussions on city leadership, sustainable investment, neighbourhoods and mobility while the Investor Stage examined how liveability, infrastructure and long-term growth translate into investable sectors. Under the theme The Architecture of Liveability, the discussions examined how policy, capital and infrastructure can turn people’s aspirations into neighbourhoods, services and systems that support quality of life as cities grow.
Opening Day 2, H.E. Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Department of Economic Development – Abu Dhabi, said that: "In Abu Dhabi, we have continued to build an economy that is more diverse, more resilient, and increasingly connected to the industries that will be shaping the future."
The diverse economy supports strong business confidence. On that, His Excellency noted: "Today, non-oil sectors account for more than half of our GDP. And the first quarter of this year new economic licenses increased by 21% compared with the same period last year. Behind every one of those licenses is a decision by a founder, an investor, or a family to build their future here. Those decisions are built on confidence, confidence in Abu Dhabi’s ability, its institutions, and stability to create opportunity for the long term."
He closed his remarks by emphasising the importance of Abu Dhabi’s whole-of-government approach to liveability and economic development, noting that: "This is where the broader LIVEX conversation connects with economic development. It depends on alignment across government, businesses, investors, and institutions. When that alignment is strong, decisions move faster, investment moves with greater certainty, and businesses have the confidence to grow for the long term."
The Architecture of Liveability: how cities serve their people
Anne Hidalgo, Global Ambassador for the Global Covenant of Mayors and former Mayor of Paris, opened the discussions in The Honest Mayor, reflecting on the challenges of transforming a major city while maintaining public confidence, improving quality of life and preparing for long-term growth. Drawing on Paris’s experience, Hidalgo stressed that every city needs to respond to its own context while ensuring residents can access the essentials of daily life close to home. She said: "Each city is built by its story, by geography … My advice is, in the urban plan of the cities, to have small centres. And in each centre, to have everything you need as citizens for your daily life." Turning to Abu Dhabi, she added: "I think Abu Dhabi is a very good example because it’s a city with this energy and the city can design. The future maybe better than in an old city like Paris."
Adrian Grenier, Actor and Sustainability Advocate; Jesper Brodin, Chair, The Earthshot Prize and former CEO, Ingka Group (IKEA); Captain Saif Al Mheiri, CEO, Abu Dhabi Maritime and Chief Sustainability Officer, AD Ports Group; and H.E. Masaood Al Masaood, President of Al Masaood then considered how investment in sustainable cities can support long-term economic and environmental value.
Other sessions moved from citywide policy to the neighbourhood. Michael White, urban planner and co-editor of Planning the Future of Abu Dhabi; Sally Capp, Former Lord Mayor of Melbourne; Monica Menendez, Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering at NYU Abu Dhabi and Director of the Research Center for Interacting Urban Networks (CITIES); and Mark Coffey, Managing Director, Oberlanders International tested the benefits and costs of density in an Oxford-style debate, examining how proximity, transport, public space, infrastructure and design shape the experience of denser cities. Making the case for density, Capp argued that "the question is how much of a good life can we put within the reach of more people, and that’s what density delivers." White cautioned that "density alone isn’t good or bad," arguing that the challenge is avoiding "density done poorly" through better planning, infrastructure and public amenities.
H.E. Ahmed Fadhel Almehairbi, Director General of Abu Dhabi City Municipality; H.E. Major General Salem Abdullah bin Barrak Al Dhaheri, Director General of Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority; Haytham Haidar, Chief Executive Officer of Lead Development; and Ali Al Gebely, Founder and Chairman of ONE Development, examined how access to schools, parks, healthcare and other everyday services shapes community life. The Art of Living Well then explored the role of hospitality, public space and experience in creating places where people want to spend time.
Mobility brought the question of delivery into focus. H.E. Sheikh Naser Majid Alqasemi, Assistant Undersecretary, Infrastructure and Transport Regulation Sector at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, opened Lift-Off for Urban Mobility. A discussion on public transport, shared mobility and autonomous systems followed with Sebastian Thrun, AI and robotics pioneer and Stanford Professor; Mohamed Hussein Karmastaji, CEO, Q Mobility; H.E. Dr. Eng. Abdulla Alghfeli, Director General, Integrated Transport Centre; and Ashish Labroo, Regional General Manager, Middle East, Uber. Later, H.E. Aref Al Awani, General Secretary, Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Fouad Darwish, CEO, Palm Sports, examined how streets, public spaces and community sport can make active living part of everyday life.
From capital to opportunity: Inside the Investor Stage
The Investor Stage looked at the energy transition as an asset class; the investment case for the longevity economy and life sciences; how industrial and innovation districts create new markets; the ultra-high-net-worth economy across wellness, hospitality and luxury; and the infrastructure and logistics required to support long-term investment returns. Together, the sessions connected Abu Dhabi’s growth priorities with the practical questions investors consider when assessing sectors, partnerships and long-term capital allocation.
From planning to delivery
Day 2 also featured the launch of two new digital platforms supporting Abu Dhabi’s planning and investment agenda. DMT launched the Government Assets Investment Opportunities Portal through TAMM, giving investors a centralised way to identify, evaluate and pursue opportunities across government-owned land and built assets, with AI-powered personalisation and location-based insights. Abu Dhabi Mobility also launched DUNE, a new platform designed to support smarter planning and AI-powered decision-making across the transport network. Together, the initiatives illustrate how Abu Dhabi is using data and digital tools to connect investment, infrastructure and liveability more closely.
Tomorrow at LIVEX: The Committed City
Day 1 asked what it means to live well. Day 2 looked at how to build for it. The final day, The Committed City, will examine what it takes to sustain that commitment, with health, culture, governance and investment at the centre of the programme.
Max Lugavere, New York Times Best-Selling Author and Nutrition Expert; Dan Buettner, Longevity Researcher, Best-Selling Author and Blue Zones Expert; and Dr Khaled Ghattass, Scientist and Human Behaviour Expert, will discuss the relationship between health, wellbeing and the cities people live in. John Hope Bryant, CEO, Hope Foundation; H.E. Rashed Ali Al Omaira, Director General, Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre; and Amira Sajwani, Managing Director, DAMAC Properties, will examine why investment follows liveability. H.E. Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture, UAE, will lead a discussion on culture as infrastructure, while H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman, Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi, and H.E. Ahmed Tamim Hisham Al Kuttab, Chairman, Department of Government Enablement, Abu Dhabi, will examine how the emirate’s physical and digital systems must work together as it grows.
LIVEX 2026 concludes on 1 October at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. Registration is open at livex-global.com.