H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chief Executive of Emirates Group has inaugurated the first International Road Federation, IRF, Middle East and North Africa Regional Congress and Exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, and hosted by the Roads and Transport Authority, RTA, the event, themed ‘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 Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development; Abdullah A. Al-Mogbel Chairman of the International Road Federation, and 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, Al-Mogbel highlighted the role of the IRF, which was established in 1948 to assist in rebuilding Europe’s road infrastructure following World War II. He added that the federation 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 IRF.

The number of autonomous cars will reach 15 percent of the total by 2030, which will require upgradation of the road infrastructure, Al Mogbel continued, adding that the federation 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 shed light on five challenges that the mobility landscape faces which included inter-city goods transportation, climate change, technology usage, the impact of technology, and governance for solving traffic problems.