Programme
Future Coastal Cities: Advancing Blue Economy, Digital Governance and Urban Resilience
This programme is provisional and issued by the Secretariat. Times, sessions and speakers may change. This page is updated as revisions are received.
Saturday 10 October 2026
Arrival
Networking while experiencing Sabah's hospitality
International delegates arrive throughout the day. There are no scheduled sessions — the day is given over to arrivals, settling in and the first informal introductions.
Arrival of international delegates
VIP reception at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) with dedicated protocol handling.
- Hotel check-in
- Registration
- Media interviews (selected international delegates)
Sunday 11 October 2026
Welcome and Site Visit
Experiencing sustainable island development and urban placemaking
- Smart Casual Daytime site visit Suitable for outdoor site visits and boat transfers.
- Business Casual or Resort Smart Casual Evening reception
Delegation assembly and departure for the site visit
Hotel lobby
Boat departure to Gaya Island follows assembly.
Site visit — Gaya Island
Gaya Island
Experience sustainable island hospitality at the resort and learn about its environmental initiatives and the practices supporting conservation of Gaya Island and the surrounding marine park.
- Fireside chat — an informal, high-level exchange among mayors on protecting marine ecosystems as the foundation of local blue economies
Networking lunch on the island
Gaya Island
Mayor's Welcome Reception
Theme: 'The Spirit of Borneo'
Al Fresco, The Magellan Sutera Resort
Kota Kinabalu's iconic sunset and a dinner by the bay, featuring local flavours, culture and hospitality in a relaxed networking setting — an opportunity for delegates to build friendships before formal discussions begin.
- Sabah sunset reception
- Welcome by the Mayor of Kota Kinabalu
- Multimedia presentation: 'Introducing Kota Kinabalu'
- Cultural performance
- Networking dinner
Monday 12 October 2026
Leading the Future of Coastal Cities
Setting the intellectual agenda for coastal city transformation.
- Business Formal (Lounge Suit) Morning and early afternoon
- Business Formal or National Attire From the Opening Ceremony at 14:30
Registration of participants
Welcome coffee and tea.
Opening Plenary
Navigating the Future of Coastal Cities: Growth, Density and the Financing Gap
This is the Opening Plenary — the first working session of the day. It is a different event from the Opening Ceremony at 14:30.
An open forum exploring the central challenge confronting coastal mayors as they accommodate high-density urban growth while closing the financing gap for the infrastructure needed to support it. Drawing on city experience in tackling pollution, strengthening climate and maritime resilience, and advancing sustainable coastal development with digital innovation and AI-driven urban management, the discussion explores how sustainable tourism, trade and maritime industries can be leveraged as engines of growth. Participating mayors and speakers share financial solutions — revenue mobilisation, public-private partnerships and land value capture — to accelerate investment in resilient, inclusive and future-ready urban infrastructure.
- Host framing remarks — Mayor of Kota Kinabalu
- Global keynote address: "The Future of Coastal Cities in an Era of Climate, AI and Economic Transformation"
- Introduction of participating mayors and city leaders
- Project showcases by participating mayors (two mayors, 10 minutes each)
- Open discussion (15 minutes)
Theme: Urban Resilience and Blue Economy (Financing)
- Blue Economy
- Climate
- AI
- Tourism
- Trade
- Maritime Economy
Coffee break and exhibition opening
Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC)
KKIMD Future Coastal Cities Experience Zone
Showcasing coastal city technologies and urban solutions
- Smart City Kota Kinabalu
- Command Centre (IOC)
- Enterprise Architecture
- Blue Economy
- Seafood Industry
- Kota Kinabalu Waterfront Vision
- Smart Tourism
- Investment Sabah
KKIMD Blue Economy Innovation Pavilion
Fisheries sector insights
- Sabah Tuna Industry
- Aquaculture
- Fisheries
- Seafood Export
- Marine Biotechnology
- Blue Carbon
- Cruise Tourism
- Ocean Technology
- Marine AI
Two sessions run at the same time. The Mayors’ Leadership Roundtable is closed-door and limited to participating mayors; the Parallel Dialogue is open to all delegates.
Mayors' Leadership Roundtable
Leading Cities Through Global Uncertainty
Who attends: Participating mayors only
A closed-door dialogue on the strategic trade-offs in coastal city governance — balancing high-density development with resident liveability, sustaining public trust, and leading urban transformation amid mounting climate pressures and rapid technological change, while aligning local decision-making with long-term resilience goals. Discussion draws on practical city experience in leadership and institutional resilience: adaptive governance models for periods of uncertainty; sustaining public trust through transparent, accountable local administration; harnessing artificial intelligence to support evidence-based urban decision-making; and embedding climate adaptation into long-term urban transformation strategies.
Theme: Urban Resilience — strategic trade-offs between density and liveability, centred on nature-based solutions
- Leadership
- Governance
- Public Trust
- AI
- Climate
- Urban Transformation
Parallel Dialogue
Building Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities
Who attends: Open to all delegates
A parallel dialogue examining how coastal cities can strengthen resilience against escalating climate risk while safeguarding the communities and livelihoods most exposed to it. The session opens with lessons from the Malaysia Adaptation Sharing Hub (MASH) on advancing urban climate adaptation, including nature-based flood protection and the role of mangroves, rivers and other natural systems in coastal protection. It then turns to safeguarding waterfront tourism as a coastal economic asset, examining how cities can balance tourism-driven growth with community resilience and long-term environmental sustainability.
- "Advancing Urban Climate Adaptation: Lessons from the Malaysia Adaptation Sharing Hub (MASH)"
- "Safeguarding Waterfront Tourism as a Coastal Economic Asset"
Theme: Urban Resilience and Blue Economy (Adaptation)
- Climate Adaptation
- Flood Management
- Mangroves
- Rivers
- Coastal Protection
- Community Resilience
- Waterfront Tourism
Two separate lunches run at the same time. Please check which one you are attending.
Mayors' Lunch
Who attends: Participating mayors
Networking Lunch
Who attends: All other delegates
Opening Ceremony
This is the formal Opening Ceremony, with the Chief Minister of Sabah as Guest of Honour. It is a different event from the Opening Plenary at 09:00. Dress code changes to Business Formal or National Attire.
- 14:30 — Opening Ceremony begins
- 14:40 — Host framing remarks: Mayor of Kota Kinabalu
- 14:50 — Video
- 15:00 — Opening address by the Guest of Honour, the Chief Minister of Sabah
- 15:30 — Friendship City Signing Ceremony
- 15:45 — Official photo session
Exhibition, side meetings and media
- Official KKIMD exhibition hall visit
- Networking coffee break and side meetings
- Media interviews
Mayors' Diplomacy Dinner
KKIMD official welcome reception
Participating mayors, city leaders and international partners come together in an informal setting to mark the official opening of the Dialogue. The evening reflects the spirit of the KKIMD theme — cities and oceans bound together, and partnerships forged through shared purpose.
Theme: Blue Economy and Urban Resilience (symbolic opening)
Tuesday 13 October 2026
Building the Future Coastal Economy
Implementing national policy at the local level and unlocking financing for coastal resilience.
- Business Formal (Lounge Suit)
Registration of participants
Welcome coffee and tea.
Leadership Plenary I
From Aspiration to Acceleration: Implementing Blue Economy Policies in Coastal Urban Contexts
Sets the strategic and policy-planning foundation for the day by examining how state blue economy ambitions can be translated into locally-led implementation. The session explores practical pathways for strengthening the tuna industry, fisheries and aquaculture as pillars of a sustainable marine economy, and for advancing food security through responsible ocean resource management.
- Keynote address: "Sabah Maju Jaya Strategic Direction — SMJ 2.0 Development Plan"
- Showcase video: Sabah Maju Jaya
- Sharing from participating mayors and city leaders (20 minutes each)
- Open discussion (25 minutes)
Theme: Blue Economy (Policy and Planning)
- Tuna Industry
- Fisheries
- Marine Economy
- Aquaculture
- Food Security
Leadership Plenary II
Smart Coastlines: Digital Governance and Intelligent Marine Urban Futures
Participating mayors share how digital technologies — artificial intelligence, enterprise architecture, urban data platforms, super apps and city command centres — are transforming coastal city planning, infrastructure management and public service delivery. The session also explores how data-driven governance can support innovative coastal development, including floating communities, land reclamation and other next-generation marine urban models.
- Technical experts’ inputs on digital tools and platforms
- Peer learning: participating mayors’ project showcases (20 minutes each)
Theme: Digital Governance
- AI
- Digital Governance
- Enterprise Architecture
- Super Apps
- Command Centres
- Urban Data
Networking lunch
Leadership Plenary III
Financing and Investing in Resilient Coastal Cities: International Lessons in Unlocking Capital for Climate Action
Examines how cities are mobilising capital to finance climate-resilient coastal infrastructure. Through international case studies, the discussion highlights strengthened municipal finance frameworks, innovative climate financing mechanisms, and public-private partnerships and blended finance approaches that help bridge investment gaps. It also explores how resource circularity within maritime economies can strengthen financial resilience and accelerate the transition towards low-carbon, climate-resilient coastal cities.
- Sharing from participating mayors and city leaders (20 minutes each)
- Technical experts’ inputs (World Bank and partners)
- Investor perspectives (15 minutes)
Theme: Blue Economy (Financing and Circularity)
- Municipal Finance
- Public-Private Partnerships
- Climate Finance
- New Financial Models
- Investment
Closing Plenary
The Future of Coastal Cities: Building High-Value, Liveable Port Cities
A closing keynote synthesising two days of discussion into a vision for the next generation of high-value, liveable port cities. The session examines how modern fisheries infrastructure, value-added processing, international regulatory standards and sustainable maritime industries can strengthen coastal economies while enhancing urban resilience and global competitiveness. The Dialogue closes on a single charge to participating cities: what will it take to turn this shared vision into implementation?
- Case studies
- Call to action by the Mayor of Kota Kinabalu
- Launch of the KKIMD Network
- Official adoption of the Kota Kinabalu Declaration
- Commitment to an annual progress review and joint communiqué
- Group photograph
Theme: Blue Economy (Industrial and Spatial Development) and Urban Resilience (Polycentric Urban Development)
Sunset Dinner
Big Fish, Kota Kinabalu Marriott Hotel
A sunset dining experience overlooking the South China Sea, featuring a curated menu of Sabah's renowned seafood alongside local and international specialities.
Wednesday 14 October 2026
Mayor's Green Legacy Programme
Planting today for tomorrow's coastal cities
- Smart Casual with comfortable walking shoes Suitable for outdoor site visits.
Depart for Taman Botani
Please proceed to your designated tree-planting location on arrival.
Kota Kinabalu Botanical Park
Friendship Tree Planting Ceremony
Taman Botani, Kota Kinabalu Botanical Park
Welcome tour of Kota Kinabalu's Botanical Park.
Opening address
Remarks by International Friendship City representatives
Friendship tree planting by participating mayors
Followed by a group photograph.
Farewell lunch
Departure of international delegates and airport transfers follow.