Arab Towns Organization (ATO)

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ATO is non-governmental regional Arab organization with no political or ideological affiliation. It specializes in cities and municipalities affairs. ATO was established in Kuwait on March 15, 1967

	Among ATO objectives:

	Preserving the identity and heritage of Arab towns

	Developing and upgrading municipal and local institutions in Arab towns

	Improving services and facilities in Arab towns

	Assist member towns in fulfilling their developmental projects through loans and grants

	Cooperation with member towns in studying, planning and coordinating their various activities to achieve development and progress, in line with their economic, social, cultural and environmental situation.

	Exchange of expertise and pilot programs among towns in the area of services and facilities

	Setting uniform standards for municipal legislation, congruent with development requirements.

	Membership:

	Membership in the Organization is open to all Arab towns wishing to join on equal footing in rights and obligations.

	Arab and International Relations:

	ATO maintains friendship and cooperation agreements with many international and Arab unions and organizations, in addition to universities and institutions specializing in areas on concern to it. ATO is a founding member of the International Council of Cities and Local Authorities, and it enjoys the status of observer at the UN Economic and Social Council, and the European Council

	General Structure:

	ATO general structure consists of:

	General Congress:

	This is the highest authority in the organization. The Congress sets the general policy, in line with ATO objectives, and directs the activities of the Organization’s agencies and institutions. It is made up of representatives of member towns, and it is held once every three years in one of the Arab towns

	Permanent Office:

	This is considered the Organizations board of directors. It oversees the affairs of the Organization, and follows on the implementation of the General Congress decisions. It takes place once a year, and is made up of all presidents of member Arab capitals (including the city of Jerusalem), and the presidents of the cities of Mecca, Medina and Al Oyoun in Morocco. Eleven members representing member cities are elected by the General Congress

	Secretariat:

	This is the executive arm of the Organization, headed by the Secretary General, assisted by an administrative staff. The staff is headed by a Director appointed by the Permanent Office upon the recommendation of the Secretary General. The latter oversees the Organization’s agencies and Secretariat, the implementation of General Congress and Permanent Office decisions, and drafting of the annual budget.

	ATO Institutions:

	Arab Towns Development Fund

	This is a fund set specifically to finance projects in member cities through medium-term loans and at nominal interest rates. The Fund is located in the Secretariat in Kuwait, and is managed by a Board of Directors made up of the Secretary General as chair and 5 members elected by the Permanent Office from among its members, in addition to the Director. When offering loans, the Fund takes care to include in its services the largest number possible of member cities, with consideration given to projects’ priorities within the rules set by the Permanent Office, and provided that the funding amount for any project doesn’t exceed 50% of the project’s total costs.

	Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI)

	This is an advisory scientific institute concerned with city affairs in all aspects. It specializes in documentation of the Organization’s activities, training, research and consultations. AUDI is located in the city of Riyadh, and is headed by the Saudi Minister of Rural and Municipal Affairs. The Institute has a Board of Trustees that manages the institute’s affairs and sets its policy. The Board consists of the chair and 9 members chosen by the Permanent Office every three years, among them, the cities of Riyadh, Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem, in addition to the General Director of the Organization as member, and the General Director of the Institutes as member and Secretary.

	ATO Award

	This is an institution that aims to promote innovation and modernization in architecture based on the Arab Islamic architectural style, and to preserve the identity and heritage of the Arab city, as well as to restore and maintain historic buildings and sites. The Award encourages Arab engineers and planners to adhere to the principles of Islamic Arab arts, promotes the protection of the environment in cities, and calls for enhance esthetics in cities. The Award includes:

	• First –Architectural Awards:

	• Best Architectural Project Award
	• Architectural Heritage Award
	• Best Architect Award

	• Second – Environmental Health Award:

	• Environmental Awareness Award
	• Environmental Safety Award
	• Best Environmental Advocate Award


	• Third – Awards for City Beautification and Greenification:

	• City Greenification Award
	• City Beautification Award
	• Best City Greenification Expert Award
The Award Institution which has its permanent headquarters in Doha, Qatar, is managed by the Higher Administrative Committee for the Award

	Environment Center for Arab Towns:

	This is an advisory scientific research institution concerned with towns in all aspects related to the natural and urban environment on the Arab and international levels. It is headquartered in Dubai, UAE.

	Arab Urban Observatory:

	This is a regional institution that aims at measuring developmental performance, and supporting decisions related to sustainable development, in addition to setting developmental policies for Arab towns. It operates within the framework of the International Program for Local, National and Regional Observatories, and Urban Indicators Program which has its headquarters in ATO.