ADSW: Street Festival at Masdar City

(photo © ADSW )

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) is the largest gathering on sustainability held in the Middle East, and this year will run between the 18th and the 25th of January. (More info on their official website).

One of the highlights of the week-long gatherings will be the Festival at Masdar City, which is free and open to all.

Masdar city is not far from the Al Raha, Yas or Saadiyat areas (10-15 minutes by car) and it is one of the most sustainable communities in the world, and – since our recent visit – one of our favourite places in Abu Dhabi.
I say only one word: robot-cars. OK, that’s two words, but still: robot cars! (blog post to follow).

From 11am to 9pm, on the 24th and 25th of January, Masdar City will be hosting a street festival featuring various zones, each with a custom theme and offering a variety of activities, aimed at inspiring more sustainable habits.
The traffic-free city (every road is a pedestrian road!) will be bustling with eco stores selling organic produce, a variety of workshops for children and teenagers, food stalls, music and entertainment for all ages, and exhibitors showcasing home solutions for sustainable living.

Interactive activities for children will include flower planting, windmill building, eco-craft workshop, a ‘little inventor’ competition, and even a secret garden. A children book-swap will also take place, to encourage reading and recycling.

There will be dedicated areas where to safely recycle batteries and electrical goods, as well as experts at hand to give tips to reduce energy consumption (and energy bills).

We have never been before, but it does sound fun! I want to build a windmill!! (And, of course, ride again in a robot-car!)

During ADSW, apparently, aside of the ones for the media, tours of Masdar city will be available to general public throughout the day on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd of January. (source)

Topics of discussion scheduled for this year’s ADSW include water, renewable energy and ecowaste.
Most of the events are open only to government officials, students, trade sector professionals or media, but some can be attended by the general public, previous registration. (The complete list of events can be found here and here).

During the Sustainability Week, Abu Dhabi will host several summits and conferences, such as the 7th World Future Energy Summit (WFES) a trade show featuring areas such as the Sustainable Living Expo (SLE), which includes a real-sized home and a model hotel suite showcasing water and energy efficient products; the 2nd International Water Summit (IWS), a platform aiming to promote water sustainability in arid regions, and the 1st EcoWASTE exhibition, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, a place where new projects and cutting-edge new technologies will be presented.

We have only one planet, so it is great to have a chance to find out more about how to make it last. See you at Masdar City!