Doha: The Arab Towns Organization Award Foundation officially announced the launch of its newly revamped website starting from June 2025, as part of its ongoing efforts to bolster communication channels with Arab cities and streamline nomination procedures for its diverse set of awards that honor excellence in sustainable urban development.

According to Qatar News Agency, the updated platform offers a comprehensive overview of the award categories, nomination criteria, and submission mechanisms, in addition to publishing the latest institutional news and events.

This launch reinforces the foundation’s steadfast commitment to advancing sustainable urban development across the Arab world, fostering innovation and urban transformation, and recognizing Arab cities that achieve extraordinary accomplishments across various domains.

Director-General of the foundation Issa Rashid Hamad highlighted that the portal is a paradigm shift in enhancing communication with cities and Arab nations that wish to nominate themselves for this award, noting that the award is a critical focal point to disseminate advertisements and news about the foundation and its programs.

The portal streamlines the accessibility to accurate information about the award categories and nomination conditions, something that broadly fosters the transparency of this process and expands the subscriber base, Hamad highlighted.

Hamad pointed out that the foundation has recently extended the duration of receiving the applications for the 15th edition, in alignment with its desire to offer further opportunities to a significant number of cities to participate.

He emphasized the importance of fulfilling the specified criteria, which center on excellence in sustainable urban development and innovation in public services, noting that full nomination details and eligibility requirements are available on the foundation’s official website.

The Arab Towns Organization Award Foundation is one of the institutions operating under the Arab Towns Organization (ATO). It was established by a resolution of the 7th General Conference of the ATO, held in Algiers in May 1983. The Foundation aims to encourage Arab cities to pursue renewal and innovation, grounded in the Arab-Islamic architectural identity within contemporary urban design, while preserving the heritage and identity of Arab cities, safeguarding historical landmarks, and motivating Arab architects and planners to protect the environment and confront pollution.

The State of Qatar has hosted the Arab Towns Organization Award Foundation since its inception, designating Doha as its permanent headquarters and providing full financial and human resources support. According to its statute, the Minister of Municipality serves as the Foundation High President, while the Director of Doha Municipality chairs the Foundation.

Established in 1967 and headquartered in Kuwait, ATO is a regional body specializing in urban and municipal affairs. It comprises over 650 Arab cities and operates through seven regional institutions that serve as its technical arms.