Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, HH Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the Crown Prince's Court, today witnessed the opening of the 26th International Roads Conference in Abu Dhabi.

The opening ceremony, which was held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, was attended by HH Sheikh Diab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Department of Transport, a member of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and a member of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Infrastructure Development and Chairman of the Federal Authority for Land and Maritime Transport, Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi.

Under the slogan “Connecting Cultures, Empowering Economies”, the first day of discussions and the first conference in the Middle East focused on dealing with the current challenges and reshaping the future of the transport sector, through a high-level and intensive series of workshops and sessions, attended by a group of decision makers. Ministers and experts from more than 150 countries.
Thousands of delegates were briefed on the significant development of Abu Dhabi's roads and the important role played by the Department of Transport and government entities in the development of infrastructure. For four years. With Abu Dhabi becoming a major destination for trade and tourism, the conference will strengthen the emirate's efforts to achieve its long-term vision by focusing more on the knowledge-based economy and innovation to contribute to building the future.

Welcome to attend

During the opening ceremony of the most important conference in the field of road industry globally, Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi and President of the World Roads Association in Paris (PIARC), Mr. Claude Van Rothen, welcomed the attendees from around the world.

Dr. Abdulla Belhaif Al Nuaimi inaugurated the conference, saying: “The win for Abu Dhabi in organizing the conference reaffirms its leading position and advanced position as a leading international destination for hosting major events and organizing major international events.”

He pointed out that the growth of the United Arab Emirates to become one of the main business and trade destinations in the world, with the focus of investments on the work of an improved road network, which facilitated the process of travel and travel more than ever before, and the amazing development of the infrastructure in the country thanks to The vision and the desire to develop the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul. The Government is constantly working to develop its vision of ways to meet the challenges of the future and to be prepared to face changes.

“This is not the first time that Abu Dhabi has been able to organize a major global event that will mark the history of the region for the first time ever,” added Dr. Abdulla Belhaif Al Nuaimi.

Our victory in hosting this World Conference is a milestone and winning all standards for our country and all the countries of the region, especially as it follows the UAE ranking for the fourth year in a row in the road quality index according to the Global Competitiveness Report issued by the Davos Economic Forum to reaffirm the UAE's leading position And its advanced status. Under the theme "Connecting Cultures and Empowering Economies", the conference will contribute to enhancing the language of dialogue and action to promote the sustainable growth of road and transport networks and infrastructure around the world for the benefit of current and future generations.

“We are honored that the world will meet here in Abu Dhabi in this part of the world for the first time in the history of the conference. Our presence here will help us learn about the UAE's successful experience in building a world-class road network and how it operates. More than 55 ministers will have a vision of the future of their countries, and we will learn more about their new plans and projects and their vision of building road networks at the ministerial session. ”

He added: "Throughout the week, we will benefit greatly from the discussions. Delegates will be able to learn about many new and different topics about roads and transport."

Ministerial meetings

The 60-minute ministerial sessions were one of the highlights of the conference, providing a platform for brainstorming among government officials through discussions on the importance of cooperation between countries in key challenges facing the transport industry.

The topic of “land use planning” was discussed at the beginning of the sessions, which offered interesting insights on the basic need to plan ahead with new and growing environmental challenges. Topics included how governments can help reduce congestion through intelligent mobility, and offer alternatives and options for long-distance travel.

On the second issue that the participants focused on, namely artificial intelligence and the future of the road sector, the session on `` Artificial Intelligence in the Road Sector '' gave ministers an opportunity to talk about the technology revolution in this vital facility, especially with the operation of self-driving cars and electric cars that will spread in the near future. The Ministers pointed out how innovative systems can facilitate and enhance transport services on the one hand, and how to activate these options for governments with innovative technological tools to support their deployment and sustainable use on the other.

In his opening speech, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Omar bin Sultan Al Ulama praised the pivotal role played by the conference this year during ministerial sessions attended by transport ministers from around the world. "From now on, all sectors will be affected by industrial intelligence, because it has become As part of our daily lives, everyone today uses smart apps to go from one place to another to see locations, or to manage everyday life, whether at work or at home. ”

"Throughout history, we have gone from being dependent on technology-backed manpower, to today relying on technology, backed by expertise and the human element."

“There is no doubt that the road and transport sector will be greatly influenced by the boom in AI, and the successive innovations in this area will contribute to shaping the road sector and transportation in the near future, including transportation and autonomous vehicles, smart road design and traffic management that It will continuously gather more information on the basic needs of road users which will shape the design concept in the future. ”

The third and final session on the first day of the conference focused on the last issue on the agenda of the ministerial sessions, the “Future Transport Network”, and the opportunities offered by connected technologies and innovative services to change the ways of delivering road solutions by linking cities and neighborhoods.

Discussions on the second day of the conference

The 26th International Roads Conference - Abu Dhabi 2019 will resume its sessions and events on Monday, with international experts joining ministers to exchange ideas and best practices.

Highlights on the second day of the conference include speeches by the Director General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and Dr Etienne Krug of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The second day will also present the results of a number of studies, including the session on “The Contribution of Land Transport to Sustainability and Economic Development”.

Among the 19 sessions and workshops that will be held during the second day of the conference program are “Flexible Planning for Road Infrastructure” and “Sustainable Financing for Transport Infrastructure”.