The city of Ramallah is located 16km from Jerusalem in the heart of the West Bank in Palestine. It is the cultural, commercial and administrative hub of the Palestine Authority and home to approximately 85,000 residents.
It is considered one of the most attractive places for living and working for residents of the West Bank, thanks to its beautiful natural surroundings dominated by green olive orchards spread across the hills.
It is also home to a burgeoning cultural and arts scene, and in 2019 became a UNESCO City of Music.
How the relationship began
On Thursday 29 June 2023, Wellington City Council voted to initiate a Friendly City relationship with Ramallah, the first step in the journey towards becoming sister cities.
The two Mayors met online in April 2024, the first formal engagement between the two city mayors. Over the course of the meeting, Mayor Issa Kassis and Mayor Tory Whanau discussed ways in which the two cities can strengthen connections on the journey towards becoming friendly cities.
Of interest was innovation and enterprise, especially supporting young people in social enterprise and start-ups. Sustainability and resilience were also topics of interest with Mayor Kassis sharing the efforts Ramallah is undertaking through its resilience strategy, which uses an integrated approach to realising sustainable development in the city.
A friendly city agreement aimed at promoting collaboration and cooperation between Wellington and Ramallah, was signed simultaneously by Mayor Tory Whanau in Wellington and by Mayor Issa Kassis, who joined online from Ramallah in August 2025.
The two cities hope to foster learning and exchange, seeking to boost opportunities for cooperation across various initiatives, including arts and culture, local government, enterprise and innovation, youth, and education.