Press Releases
22 Apr 2018
UITP MENA Transport Congress kicks off
(70 speakers from 21 countries take part in the event supported by Hamdan bin Mohammed)
Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, the 3rd UITP MENA Transport Congress & Exhibition 2018 will kick off (Monday) 23rd of April 2018. The event, which is organised by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the UITP under the theme: Pioneering for Customers Happiness, attracts wide participation of more than 70 speakers from 21 countries. The accompanying Exhibition spans an area of 2800 square meters and features the participation of exhibitors hailing from 17 countries.
The opening session will be highlighted by the speech of the Keynote speaker Brent Toderian, an international thinker and expert of urban planning and sustainable transport. During the session, the winners of the Public Transport Hackathon will be honoured. The opening day will also witness the opening of the exhibition, which displays the latest trends of the transportation industry.
The lineup of speakers includes HE Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuami, Minister of Infrastructure Development; HE Dr. Hisam Arafat, Minister of Transport, Egypt; HE Eng. Saad Al Khalb, Deputy Minister of Transport, Saudi Arabia; H.E Rumaih Al Rumaih President, Public Transport Authority, Saudi Arabia; HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA; Her Excellency Dr. Aisha Bin Bishr, Director General, Smart Dubai Office; HE Dr. Abdullah Al Karam, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai; HE Khaled Al-Hogail, Chairman of the Executive Office of the UITP MENA and Director General of SAPTCO, Saudi Arabia; and several other international speakers.
Sessions and discussions
“The UITP MENA Transport Congress & Exhibition is one of the biggest gatherings of public transport industry. It brings together transport officials, policy makers, legislators, developers, consultants, operators and manufacturers under one roof to examine futuristic solutions for public transport means. Holding the third event culminates the huge successes of the first two editions (2014 and 2016). It is also underlined by the healthy growth in the number of participants, presentations, communication opportunities, multiple exhibitions of the latest technologies used in public transport sector,” said Al Tayer, RTA’s Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors.
“Over three days, the Congress will discuss a host of issues related to public transport in developing countries, management & funding of public transport, transport & the use of energy, school transport, and creativity in delivering public transport services. The event includes 4 key sessions, 8 parallel sessions, and 3 specialist sessions involving the participation of 70 speakers from 21 countries. Topics under discussion include the provision of excellent services, improving governance & regulation, finance means and management, adoption of modern technologies, safety and security systems, reducing carbon emissions, cycling, people happiness, and smart services among others. It also includes two site visits to the Enterprise Command & Control Center, and the Dubai Water Canal,” added Al Tayer.