Abdullah Al-Mogbel, Chairman of the International Road Federation, IRF, and Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority, RTA, have attended the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between RTA and IRF Middle East and North Africa Regional Congress and Exhibition, under the heading, "Mobility Solutions for the 21st Century".

The MoU was signed on behalf of RTA by Maitha bin Adai, CEO of RTA Traffic and Roads Agency, and by Patrick Sankey, President cum CEO of the IRF, in the presence of directors and staff members from both sides.

"The MoU, which comes in line with the UAE Vision 2021 and 'Greening the Economy', aims at launching the Excellence Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability in Road Design to benefit from the latest experiments, research data and specialised studies related to road design. It also aims to provide practical training to road design researchers, introduce modern technology for sustainable roads, and foster partnerships between government institutions, academic centres and private companies through specific and specialised programmes in this field," said bin Adai.

"The target of transforming 25 percent of all transportation in Dubai into smart and driverless by 2030, requires conducting specialised studies, and infrastructure scientific research, particularly smart traffic control means. It also requires entry and exit management, and speed control procedures without compromising pedestrian crossings, which contributes to upgrading infrastructure in line with future plans," continued bin Adai.

Patrick Sankey, President and CEO of the IRF, said, "We are delighted to sign this MoU with RTA, which underscores the keenness of the two sides to combine efforts to enhance communication and cooperation through government partnerships. It also reflect the commitment of both parties to support all strategic initiatives and projects aimed at providing the best infrastructure for the roads and transport sectors as per the highest standards of traffic safety and facilities maintenance."