Under the patronage of Hamdan bin Mohammed.. Ahmed bin Mohammed inaugurates the 18th session of the International Road Federation World Conference and Exhibition

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, inaugurated the works of the 18th session of the International Road Federation World Congress and Exhibition, hosted by Dubai represented by At the Roads and Transport Authority, under the slogan: "Roads of the Future", with the participation of more than 100 international and emerging companies and more than 250 speakers, experts and specialists in the field of roads and infrastructure, to discuss strategic directions and the roadmap for the future of roads and smart mobility.

 His Highness watched a documentary film that highlighted the importance of investing in the infrastructure of the road and transport network at the regional and global levels, to keep pace with the rapid growth witnessed by cities and achieve a sustainable economy, while reviewing the efforts of the Roads and Transport Authority to keep pace with population growth and urban development in Dubai.

During the opening, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honored His Excellency Eng. Khalid Al-Hogail, Director General and CEO of the Saudi Public Transport Company, winner of the International Road Federation Personality of the Year award for the year 2021, in recognition of his many achievements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the field of transport. His efforts during his presidency of the International Federation of Public Transport, and His Highness also honored the institutions and companies sponsoring the conference, as well as honoring Lord Philip Hammond, the main speaker at the conference.

Following the opening session of the conference, His Highness the Chairman of the Dubai Media Council inaugurated the accompanying exhibition, in which more than 100 international and emerging companies are participating, displaying the latest technology in the design and operation of road networks, and the latest innovations in transportation engineering, smart cities and self-driving vehicles.

The opening was attended by His Excellency Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority, and His Excellency Eng. Abdullah Al Moqbel, Chairman The International Road Federation, and a number of directors of government departments and bodies, officials and representatives of local and international companies.

140 billion dirhams

. His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer delivered the opening speech of the conference, in which he stressed that the directions of the Government of Dubai, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, and the follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, focuses on continuous investment in the development of road and transport infrastructure, as a major driver of the economy and development.

Al Tayer said: "The Dubai government has invested more than 140 billion dirhams since 2006 in developing the infrastructure related to transportation and roads, to meet the requirements of the comprehensive urban and economic boom, and to achieve happiness and prosperity for the residents and visitors of the Emirate of Dubai. The Roads and Transport Authority has succeeded in making a qualitative leap in the road sector. As the length of the road network increased from 8,715 lane-km in 2006 to 18,255 lane-km in 2020, the number of vehicle bridges and tunnels increased from 129 tunnels and bridges, to 844 tunnels and bridges during the same period, and the proportion of mass transit trips increased from 6% in 2006 to About 16% in 2020, and the death rate from road accidents decreased from approximately 22 deaths per 100,000 population in 2006 to 1.8 cases in 2020, indicating that the authority employed the latest smart systems and technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as:Artificial intelligence, big data and the Internet of things, to expand traffic coverage, as it opened the Dubai Center for Intelligent Traffic Systems in Al Barsha in 2020, and it is a unique center in the world, where the irrigated coverage rate is currently 60% and will reach 100% in 2023.

Future Cities

His Excellency the Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority explained that the continuous growth in the population, the increase in the number of vehicles, and rapid technological changes pose a great challenge for various cities, while the solution lies in developing and raising the efficiency and effectiveness of the infrastructure and services provided by cities, through Focusing on building future cities that employ the latest communication and information technologies, and raising the efficiency of infrastructure services.

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer said: "Dubai's hosting of the 18th edition of the International Road Federation World Congress and Exhibition comes within the framework of the great cooperation between the Roads and Transport Authority and the International Road Federation, and the conference highlights important axes such as innovations in transport engineering, financing methods, and preparing road infrastructure. To serve electric and autonomous vehicles, safe and sustainable road network design, asset management and maintenance, optimization of road networks, and reinvent urban transport for cities.

 Unconventional solutions

For his part, His Excellency Eng. Abdullah Al-Moqbel, President of the International Road Federation, said: "The World Conference and the accompanying exhibition embody the basic objectives of the Federation, which are to equip the road and transport sector with technical and scientific developments to keep pace with the rapid changes and exchange ideas and experiences in this field." In the last period, the movement of people and goods witnessed changes imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, and dealing with them required taking unconventional solutions to ensure the smooth movement of goods, specifically food and medicine, and throughout the pandemic period, the transport sector showed flexibility in adapting to abnormal conditions, to provide transportation services. necessary for communities, and focus on digital infrastructure to achieve the best means of communication and necessary supplies.

Lord Philip Hammond, former UK Minister of Finance, delivered the keynote speech at the opening of the conference, during which he highlighted the role of governments in preparing the transport sector for future challenges, targeted investments, and policies designed to support innovation and sustainability in the transport sector.

Sessions and Workshops

The conference will witness more than 70 sessions and discussion panels covering strategic directions and a road map that shows the most important policies and research in the field of roads and smart mobility, the use of artificial intelligence in the design and management of highways, guidelines for smart driving infrastructure, innovative paving materials and surveying techniques, and the (zero) strategy. The conference program also includes organizing field visits to a number of RTA projects, the most important of which are the Dubai Center for Intelligent Traffic Systems, the Dubai Water Canal, the Dubai-Al Ain Road Development Project, and the pedestrian crossing bridge in the Marina area.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news