Hanum (right) hit the gong as the launch gimmick while (from left) Abu Zarim, Ezumi and Rui Leao looked on.

KUALA LUMPUR: The International Union of Architects (UIA) 2024 International Forum (UIA2024KL), to be held in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 15 to 19  this year, is expected to draw more than 3,000 delegates from around the world.

Organised jointly by the Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM) and the KL City Council (DBKL), the UIA2024KL will bring together architects, urban planners, policymakers and enthusiasts worldwide to engage in critical discussions about challenges and strategies to prioritise human well-being alongside environmental stewardship. 

“The theme of this Forum, Diversecity: Humanity and Sustainable Growth, resonates deeply with Kuala Lumpur's own journey and aspirations,” said the Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Kamarulzaman Mat Salleh in the opening speech, read by DBKL project implementation and building maintenance department director Hanum Ain Zainal at the UIA2024KL soft launch. 

“As a city that embodies cultural diversity and is committed to sustainable development, we are eager to engage in meaningful discussions and knowledge exchange around the sub-themes of Culture and Heritage, Density and Sustainable Growth, and Equity and Ecology,” the mayor added. 

PAM president Abu Zarim Abu Bakar said the UIA2024KL is an opportunity to highlight Malaysia’s uniqueness. 

“Hosting the UIA2024KL in Malaysia is significant for sharing our cultural diversity and is a powerful way to promote dialogue, understanding, and appreciation for diverse cultural contexts in which architecture operates. It has the potential to inspire positive change, foster collaboration, and contribute to progressing architecture as a socially responsible and culturally responsive profession,” he said. 

UIA2024KL convener Ezumi Harzani Ismail said policymakers will be engaged in the forum in a meaningful way to foster more collaborations, and he also welcomed the participation of the public to share their experience as architecture end-users. Also present was UIA secretary general Rui Leao. 

UIA2024KL is supported by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), Architecture, Interior Design and Building Exhibition (Archidex) and other partners. For more information and to register an attendance, visit https://www.uia2024kl.org/.

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