Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

THE establishment of friendly exchange relations between Shenzhen and Abu Dhabi is an important milestone for both cities, according to Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT).

Shenzhen Mayor Qin Weizhong and Al Shorafa signed the Memorandum of Friendly Exchange and Cooperation between Shenzhen and Abu Dhabi at a ceremony in Shenzhen on Friday.

“The memorandum we signed is a testament to the relationship that we want to have with Shenzhen, especially in the urban planning and mobility areas. This milestone shows that Abu Dhabi and Shenzhen will continue to learn from each other and further develop this relationship,” Al Shorafa told Shenzhen Daily.

Al Shorafa led a delegation to the city in July last year, meeting with Shenzhen’s mayor and visiting local companies to exchange experiences in areas including the digitalization of municipal services, electric public transportation, urban planning, and smart cities.

According to the DMT chairman, the trip to Shenzhen six months ago was quite fruitful as some pilot projects in smart transportation have already been carried out in Abu Dhabi.

In another development, Shenzhen and Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, established friendly exchange relations Friday.