Questions to be addressed include:
• How can national MSME support institutions act as anchors for coordinated service delivery, finance access, and enterprise formalization?
• What institutional and regulatory reforms are most effective in improving MSMEs' access to finance at scale — not only through projects, but through market-level change?
• What concrete policy and ecosystem interventions are needed to support women-led businesses in transitioning beyond micro-enterprise level, while addressing the structural constraints they face?
• What role can MSME support policies and institutions play in strengthening economic resilience and business continuity during periods of crisis, uncertainty, or external shocks across different country contexts?

This high-level panel discussion will examine progress and challenges in delivering SDG 11 in the Arab region, with a focus on safe and affordable housing as a human right and a cornerstone of inclusive, resilient cities, particularly in contexts affected by protracted crises and conflict. It will build on recent global and regional momentum, including the Sixth Arab Ministerial Forum for Housing and Urban Development (Doha, Qatar, 14–16 December 2025), highlighting housing as essential to social protection and sustainable urban development. The session will spotlight practical, integrated policy and financing solutions that link housing to poverty reduction, decent work and social inclusion. It will also consider post-conflict recovery and reconstruction approaches aimed at building back better and greener.

Objectives:
• Present key regional trends and insights emerging from National Progress Reports on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in the Arab region.
• Provide a platform for countries to share experiences and lessons learned in preparing and using NUA progress reports to inform policy and planning.
• Explore how national reporting can be leveraged for action and impact, including its role in guiding investments, strengthening governance, and supporting local implementation.
• Identify common regional priorities and opportunities for cooperation, including peer learning, partnerships, and coordinated approaches to accelerate progress on SDG 11.
• Contribute Arab regional perspectives to global processes, including the Road to Baku: The Local Way, by highlighting locally grounded solutions and experience.

Questions to be addressed include:
• How can we implement policies that ensure equal opportunities and address gender-based violence (SDG 5)?
• What steps are needed to ensure women's access to comprehensive facility services, clean water, and affordable energy (SDGs 6 & 7)?
• How can we best support women's economic empowerment and ensure safe public spaces (SDGs 5 & 11)?
• How can gender-disaggregated data and multi-stakeholder partnerships be leveraged to inform targeted interventions (SDG 17)?

This high-level panel discussion will take stock of progress on SDG 7 in the Arab region, assessing advances in access to energy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, affordability and grid readiness. It will examine how the region’s challenges, including conflict, economic and debt distress, climate risks, energy market structures and price volatility, are reshaping pathways towards achieving SDG 7. The session will highlight infrastructure and digitalization as key enablers of reliable and resilient systems and of greater integration of renewable energy sources. The discussion will draw on country experiences and promote inclusive action to reach last-mile populations, in line with the principle of leaving no one behind. It will also identify priority policy directions and financing solutions, while reinforcing linkages with SDG 9, including on critical minerals, and SDG 11, regarding access to basic services.

Questions to be addressed include:
• How can transforming food systems accelerate progress across SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17?
• What innovations – technological, policy, financial – hold the greatest potential for food–water–energy-ecosystems at the local level?
• How can urban–rural linkages contribute to efficient, resilient and inclusive agrifood systems?
• What partnership and governance models can effectively enable integrated solutions, and how policy coordination be strengthened at the regional level?

Questions to be addressed include: (coming soon)
• What does inclusive transport look like and what steps need to be taken? Where can we find good practices?
• What are the most pressing barriers affecting women and girls—especially those with disabilities—in accessing safe and reliable transport in the Arab region?
• How can Arab States leverage the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport Implementation Plan (2026-2035) to accelerate national and local reforms?
• Which partnerships (governmental, municipal, CSOs, OPDs, private sector) are essential for scaling inclusive transport solutions?

This high-level panel discussion will focus on the infrastructure dimension of SDG 9, beginning with a baseline assessment of infrastructure-related trends in the Arab region prior to the recent escalation of conflict. The discussion will examine the impact of conflict, including damage to energy, water, agriculture, transport and digital systems, as well as spillover effects on trade, supply chains and industrial production. The session will also explore policy options to strengthen infrastructure resilience during crises and outline post-conflict recovery, reconstruction and financing priorities.

Speakers

Moderator:

Questions to be addressed include:
• How will AI reshape employment, job quality, and skills needs in the Arab region by 2035?
• Which demographic groups – youth, women, low-skilled workers – face the highest risks and the greatest opportunities?
• What do the AI employment scenarios tell us about plausible futures for the region?
• How can Arab States build inclusive and future-ready skills ecosystems, from early education to lifelong learning?
• What types of policies are needed to ensure an equitable AI transition, including social protection, labor-law adaptation, and ethical AI governance?
• How can governments and private-sector actors collaborate to harness AI for sustainable development and economic diversification?