International road congress, exhibition kicks off in Dubai

Dubai / WAM

Under the patronage of Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum inaugurated the first International Road Federation (IRF) Middle East and North Africa Regional Congress and Exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Hosted by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the event, held under the theme of ‘Mobility Solutions for the 21st Century’, features 200 speakers and 50 sessions. About 70 exhibitors are participating in the event.
The inaugural session was attended by His Excellency Dr Abdullah Mohammad Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development; HE Abdullah A. Al-Mogbel Chairman of the International Road Federation, and His Excellency
Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, along with a number of senior official and representatives of regional
governments.
Delivering the keynote speech, the Chairman of the International Road Federation, Abdullah Al Mogbel, highlighted the role of IRF, which was established in 1948 to assist in rebuilding Europe’s road infrastructure following World War II. He also said that IRF has launched a number of programmes to assist engineers and technicians develop their knowledge and technical skills. He also said that more than 1,400 engineers from 118 countries were trained by the Federation. Al Mogbel further said that the number of autonomous cars will reach 15% of the total by 2030, which will require upgradation of the road infrastructure. The IRF, he said, can provide the technical knowledge required for supporting this change.
Anthony Foxx Former US Secretary of Transportation, who was the conference keynote speaker, praised Dubai’s infrastructure and its roads as well as its mobility solutions. He also threw light on five challenges that the mobility landscape faces – inter-city goods transportation, climate change, technology usage, the impact of technology, and governance for solving traffic problems.
Sheikh Ahmed honoured the sponsors of the events, as well as Anthony Foxx at the event.