The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is pleased to publish the full programme of the 6th edition of the UCI Mobility & Bike City Forum. Organised in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the UCI's annual event dedicated to cycling for all and sustainability will be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on 18 and 19 December 2024.
Last September, the UCI announced the name of the Forum's first keynote speaker, Safiya Al Sayegh, the first Emirati woman cyclist to turn professional and currently member of the UCI Women's WorldTeam UAE Team ADQ, as well as the themes of the conference and the event venues (see press release of 5 September).
The UCI is delighted to announce today the presence of a second prestigious keynote speaker, Jean Todt, the United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy for Road Safety since April 2015. Mr Todt was President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) from 2009 to 2021 and General Manager of the Ferrari Racing Division from 1993 to 2008. As United Nations Special Envoy, Mr Todt helps mobilise sustained political commitment towards making road safety a priority, advocates and raises awareness about the United Nations road safety legal instruments, shares established road safety good practices, and generates funding for advocacy efforts through strategic partnerships between the public, private and non-governmental sectors. Some key initiatives launched by Mr Todt include the UN-JCDecaux campaign #MakeASafetyStatement, with global and national celebrities and the Safe and Affordable Helmets Initiative.
A number of other renowned experts from all over the world will speak as part of the four main themes that will structure the first day of the Forum, on 18 December (‘Riders as champions of change’, ‘Cycling cities around the world’, ‘Cycling towards a sustainable future’ and ‘Strategies to grow cycle tourism).
The first theme will bring together riders from diverse disciplines who act as role models through their extra-sporting commitments. Among them will be Peter Sagan, the only (male) rider to have won three consecutive titles of UCI World Champion in the road race (2015, 2016 and 2017), Moroj Adil, Saudi Arabia's first woman professional cyclist, and Denise Schindler, three-time UCI Para-cycling World Champion and member of the UCI Athletes' Commission.
The second theme, ‘Cycling cities around the world’, will highlight strategies undertaken by cities on various continents to grow cycling for recreation, health and transport, with speakers including Samson Ndayishimiye, President of the Rwandan Cycling Federation, Euan Jardine, Leader of Scottish Borders Council, and a representative from Abu Dhabi. The third (‘Cycling towards a sustainable future’) will shine the spotlight on environmental and social sustainability initiatives developed by cycling stakeholders. These will be presented by, among others, Melissa Moncada, President of UCI Women's WorldTeam UAE Team ADQ, Mauro Gianetti, Team Principal and CEO of UCI WorldTeam UAE Team Emirates and Caroline Julian, Brand and Engagement Director at British Cycling.
The final theme (‘Strategies to grow cycle tourism’) will provide an opportunity to discover the viewpoints of experts from several continents on the growth and promotion of cycle tourism. These experts will include Jill Warren, CEO of the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF), Qondisa Ngwenya, President of Cycling South Africa, Sandro Araújo, Vice-President of the Portuguese Cycling Federation, and Samara Sheppard, UCI Bike City Coordinator, Destination Wollongong, Australia.
Additional speakers will be announced by the UCI in the coming weeks.
The second day of the UCI Mobility & Bike City Forum will enable participants in the first Asia-organised edition of the event to discover Abu Dhabi's cycling infrastructure, in particular during workshops and bike tours, which will take place at or leave from the headquarters of the Abu Dhabi Cycling Club, on Al Hudayriyat Island. Workshops covering the themes of women's cycling development, sustainability, and capacity building will complement the in-depth knowledge-sharing opportunities available to all delegates on 19 December.
To register for the Forum, interested delegates are invited to complete the detailed online registration form available here. Registration for the conference programme is free for all participants.
The UCI Mobility & Bike City Forum is the UCI's annual conference dedicated to promoting sustainable and active mobility, and cycling's contribution to the global sustainable development agenda. This event brings together the transport and cycling communities, as well as representatives from the UCI Bike City and Region network, National Federations, Continental Confederations, event organisers, city representatives, cycling advocates and industry experts. It is organised as part of the UCI's strategic commitment to developing cycling worldwide as a sport and sustainable transport mode.
For more information on the UCI's Cycling for All programme, please visit the Cycling for All section of the UCI website. If you have any questions about the Forum, please contact the UCI at [email protected].