At the closing of an event celebrating the history and culture of the Mediterranean cities, Serageldin gave a highly inspirational talk, during which he illustrated the pivotal role of the Mediterranean cities in empowering their communities towards the betterment of their societies. Serageldin pledged the BA's commitment to provide a space for freedom against powerful currents of extremism. He expressed appreciation to the Italian Trust Fund and The World Bank for funding the project, and extended a word of special thanks to all those whose efforts contributed to the success of the event, which gathered Mayors, representatives of the civil and business societies, as well as urban developers from the major Mediterranean cities.