The eighth Africities Summit will be held in the Moroccan city of Marrakech from Nov. 20 to 24, the organizers announced on Thursday.

As the flagship pan-African event of the Africa Section of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG Africa), the summit is held every three years.

This year's summit is expected to attract 5,000 participants from communities and local authorities in African countries, as well as financial institutions, civil society groups and development partners at continental and international levels, the UCLG said on a statement.

Themed "the transition to sustainable cities and territories, the role of African local governments," the summit will discuss challenges facing African cities, including unemployment, urban expansion and climate change.

UCLG AFRICA is currently headquartered in Morocco's capital Rabat, as a pan-African international organization.