Roads & Transport Authority - Archived News Details

The meeting also discussed road and public transport projects the RTA is intending to undertake in the near future.

The meeting, which was also attended by HE Robert Waller, American Consul General in Dubai, Jim Cramer, Desk Officer at the Office of the Middle East and North Africa in Washington D.C., and a host of RTA officials, discussed investment prospects open for the private sector in roads and public transport means the RTA is planning up to 2020. Such a plan envisages the construction of roads extending hundreds of kilometers as well as bridges and crossings on the Dubai Creek and ring roads circling existing or future developments and activity areas.

“Over the next few years the RTA will be embarking on the construction and operation of rail projects costing billions of dirhams including Route 2020 involving the extension of the Red Line of the Dubai Metro to the exhibition yard of Expo 2020, and the extension of the Green Line of the Dubai Metro as well as Phase II of the Dubai Tram project. Future projects offer a great opportunity for businesses to bid in tenders released by the RTA. So the RTA is mulling to offer such projects on the basis of Public-Private Partnership model, comprising elements attractive for the private sector to take the initiative and bear the costs of such projects against benefiting from the project’s returns over the contract period,” explained Al Tayer.

For his part Mr. Kumar expressed his delight with the projects accomplished by the RTA in the field of public transport such as the Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram and other mass transit modes in a record time. “The US is seeking to foster strong relationships with the UAE and raising bilateral trade to higher levels. The meeting offered a superb opportunity to share experiences between American firms and the RTA as regards constructing and managing the infrastructure of roads and public transport.