Infrastructure

The Middle East’s top transport hub welcomes American investment

Dubai has positioned itself as the ideal base in a fast-growing region. As H.E. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Governmental Sector Development for the United Arab Emirates and Chairman of Dubai’s National Transport Authority explains, “American companies should look not only at Dubai and the United Arab Emirates but at the whole region. The potential is huge. The United States is a global leader in technology but has not been very active in the region. From both the political and economic points of view, American investment here could enhance the United States’ reputation as well as have great potential.”

In the transport sector alone, Al Mansoori says, “We see significant investment potential for American companies in aircraft, support services, ground handling services, infrastructure, human resources and aviation-related technologies, as well as investment in projects related to Dubai’s new international airport. In fact, the aviation sector is growing by 15 percent per year in the United Arab Emirates.”

RTA

“In Dubai’s transport master plan, environment and infrastructure are linked.”

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), established in 2005, has been mandated to develop a state-of-the-art, safe, smooth and environmentally-friendly transport infrastructure for Dubai that will both serve the emirate’s growing population and boost Dubai’s economic development. The new organization, a combination of other departments, had to develop a true transport authority, find highly trained staff, and work out a plan for coping with Dubai’s traffic problems, all in a very short time, but RTA is proving it can meet the challenge.

Achieving the goals of Sheikh Mohammed’s strategic plan

Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, RTA’s Chairman of the Board and Executive Director, explains that RTA has a key role to play in achieving the goals of the new strategic plan for Dubai announced by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in February 2007. “RTA’s contribution falls mainly within the third section of the new strategic plan, which is concerned with infrastructure, land and the environment. RTA’s vision of achieving safe and efficient transport for all is based on the goal stated in the emirate’s strategic plan to provide an integrated roads and transportation system to facilitate the movement of people and goods while improving safety levels for all system users,” Al Tayer explains.

Independent agency system

RTA is Dubai’s first government authority that contains an independent agency system. The specialized agencies are Traffic and Roads, Public Transport, Rail Transport, Marine Transport and Dubai Taxi, each with its own CEO and with a board chaired by Al Tayer. All are working together to help achieve H.H. Sheikh Mohammed’s vision for Dubai’s transport infrastructure, including making it environmentally friendly.
RTA is Dubai’s first government authority that contains an independent agency system. The specialized agencies are Traffic and Roads, Public Transport, Rail Transport, Marine Transport and Dubai Taxi, each with its own CEO and with a board chaired by Al Tayer. All are working together to help achieve H.H. Sheikh Mohammed’s vision for Dubai’s transport infrastructure, including making it environmentally friendly.
Reflecting its commitment to operating according to world-class business practices, the RTA has also established a Strategy and Corporate Governance sector as well as a Corporate Support Services sector, and has hired exceptionally well qualified staff, both local and expatriate. RTA now employs more than 3,000 people, including 90 managers, 34 directors and seven CEOs, as well as around 5,000 drivers.

15-year master plan budgeted at AED 75 billion

RTA’s 15-year master plan, with an overall budget of AED 75 billion, calls for an investment of AED 44.5 billion in expanding and improving Dubai’s road network, AED 33.5 billion in expanding and improving public transportation systems, including AED 15 billion in developing the metro system, AED 2 million for improvements in maritime transport.

As Al Thayer points out, “RTA’s 2020 plan is not limited to infrastructure projects but rather covers six major areas in a balanced approach.” These six areas include expanding the road network through adding 310 miles of new roads and 96 new interchanges as well as nine new ring roads; creating 71 new grade-separated pedestrian crossings; developing a system of bicycle routes; and enhancing the public transport network. Overall, around 197 miles will be added to Dubai’s metro system and 167 miles to the tram system.

In addition, RTA’s master plan includes new policies concerning tolls, parking fees and car registration schemes, as well as public service campaigns on such topics as the dangers of speeding and the need to wear seat belts. RTA also plans to implement modern traffic-control technologies, including the Dynamic Navigation System (Dallili), intelligent transportation systems, the SCOOT traffic signal control system, a centralized system handling parking, and new types of signs.

In addition to completing major projects already underway, RTA has launched a number of new projects for a total budget of around USD 12 billion, Al Thayer explains. These projects include AED 7 billion in road projects and AED 17 billion in public transport projects, with AED 15.5 billion earmarked for two new metro lines and AED 1.3 billion for new high-quality buses. RTA also aims to construct 815 air-conditioned bus stops.

Key projects now underway

Key projects currently underway include a tramway system linking shopping malls and hotels; constructing two new roads paralleling Sheikh Zayed Road all the way to Abu Dhabi; widening Emirates Road, Etihad Road and the Outer Bypass; widening Al Khail Road to six lanes with a plan to link the road to the Outer Bypass in the future; and constructing several new interchanges on Sheikh Zayed Road and other roads. RTA has also almost completed the construction of Al Garhoud Bridge and is planning to construct new tramway lines and new metro links, including one connecting Al maktoum Airport and Dubai International Airport.

New bridges, new marine-transport options

In addition, RTA is creating new bridges across Dubai Creek, including Business Bay Crossing, New Garhoud Bridge and Floating Bridge. Other plans include widening Maktoum Bridge and increasing the number of lanes crossing the creek from 19 at the beginning of 1007 to around 40 at the end of the year and around 48 by March 2008.

RTA is also investing in transport systems employing Dubai’s waterways. Around AED 7 million will be invested in 10 water buses, and projects for water taxis and for a marine rapid-transit system employing low-wash catamarans are currently at the design stage. RTA’s first water bus service was launched in July this year; it incorporates features of the traditional abra craft as well as new technologies, and is the first marine mass-transit service ever launched in the Middle East.

Multi-mode transport centers

Dubai is also one of the few cities in the world to establish multi-mode public transport centers. “We are providing an integral road and transportation system to facilitate good movement for people, and one example is our multi-model stations. In one station you have marine transport options, buses, subway lines and taxi services, all in one place,” Al Tayer says proudly.

Focus on “green” transport

To protect the environment while also enhancing transport options, RTA has invested in top-of-the-line environmentally friendly buses and other measures; the innovative multi-mode transport hubs are particularly environmentally friendly. RTA is also working with General Motors in a project to implement hybrid vehicles, and has partnered with American firms concerning “green” highway design. “In Dubai’s transport master plan, environment and infrastructure are linked,” Al Tayer points out.

RTA is also working to reduce pollution by alleviating Dubai’s traffic problems, which are related to the fact that the number of cars in the emirate has been growing by 17 percent per year compared to the global average of 3 percent or less. To cope with these challenges, RTA is focusing on state-of-the-art traffic management schemes, upgrading infrastructure, making more public-transport options available, increasing the number of pedestrians-only areas, and increasing public awareness of environmentally friendly transport solutions.

Other environment-friendly projects for RTA include transforming around 95 percent of its current services to e-services by the end of 2008, launching the Dubai Award for Sustainable Transportation Initiatives, exploring the benefits of staggered work schedules, promoting car pooling, and promoting engines for its water taxis that operate on natural gas.

As it is expanding Dubai’s road and rail infrastructure, RTA is also making the system more user-friendly and attractive. “We are also working together with Dubai Municipality to add more greenery to the roads, and we will have special spaces for pedestrians and cycling trails,” Al Tayer explains.

State-of-the-art Salik toll system

Al Tayer is particularly proud of the new Salik toll system, which utilizes the latest technology to achieve free-flow operation with no toll booths, no toll collectors, and no impact to traffic flow, allowing vehicles to move through a tolling point at highway speeds while tolls are taken out of their prepaid accounts. The Salik system, which went into service in July this year, has already dramatically alleviated Dubai’s traffic congestion.

Dubai is also undergoing its new 43-mile metro system in only three years; it features the longest driverless train in the world. Another innovative RTA project is the Floating Bridge, the first such bridge in the Middle East, which was completed in les than one year.

RTA also recently launched new signalling systems and has made great strides forward in improving customer service by creating dedicated customer-service centers. RTA aims to simplify transport options for users by establishing a unified ticketing system to cover all types of public transport in Dubai.

American partners welcome

To achieve its ambitious goals, RTA has established around 40 mutually beneficial partnerships, and welcomes more partnerships as it continues to complete its many projects. As Al Tayer says, “RTA is expecting major growth in its operations, and we plan to draw on our previous and current experiences to provide transportation-related services in other emirates and other countries. We are particularly interested in working with American partners. We are already working with several American companies, including Parsons Deleuw Cather, Parsons-Brinkerhof and General Motors, and RTA has visited the United States in September and visited General Motors factories producing hybrid vehicles. Our highways are designed mainly by American consultants. We are also in constant contact with the American Consulate of Dubai over issues of mutual interest.”

In implementation of the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, to work towards finding a safe, clean, attractive and sustainable environment, and to live up to the reputation and prestige of the Emirate, the RTA signed an agreement with General Motors for the operation of ten environmentally-friendly hybrid vehicles. The vehicles use 2-Mode Hybrid engines that run on fuel and electricity. This agreement comes as a first step in a comprehensive plan to reduce emissions resulting from vehicle exhaust systems, and to make all vehicles in Dubai environmentally-friendly.

In January 2008, RTA will start an operational trial of 10 General Motors hybrid taxis, 5 all-new Chevrolet Tahoe’s, equipped with a 2-mode Hybrid engine, and 5 Chevrolet Malibu’s. The trial period will last for one year, during which General Motors will provide technical training on safety and other aspects for 15 RTA technicians, and 40 Dubai taxi drivers.

Al Tayer, who has a strong background in engineering and transport planning, is clearly the right man to lead the very ambitious projects RTA plans to complete over the next few years. He obtained a degree in engineering from the University of Wisconsin, and before starting with RTA, Al Tayer was the Deputy Director General of Dubai Municipality, and had previously served as Director of Roads for Dubai Municipality. He headed Dubai Municipality’s Roads and General Projects sector from 1994 until the creation of RTA in 2005, overseeing projects budgeted at around AED 1 billion per year. He is known as a strategic thinker with a grasp of the big picture yet with an understanding of details.

Concerning the challenges of his new post with RTA, Al Tayer says, “Sheikh Mohammed told me he wanted the most important projects to be finished in two years’ time and that’s what I’m trying to do. We aim to make Dubai ready for 2020, when all the current major development projects will have been completed. This is a very challenging goal for us, but we are accomplishing it.” He concludes, “I’m doing my best to come up with something new for Dubai, something unique.”