The UAE, represented by the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport (DoT), has won the right to host the 'World Road Congress,' the most authoritative international event in the area of roads and road transportation, to be held in 2019.

The UAE delegation, comprising the Department of Transport, the National Transport Authority, Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau (a division of the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, and Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company), secured 163 out of the 177 votes, thus emerging out the clear winner.

Established in 1909, the World Road Association (PIARC) brings together the road administrations of 120 governments along with its members in over 140 countries.

The forum, which is aimed at strengthening regional and international co-operation and building co-operative systems to solve road transportation problems, will see between 5,000 and 7,000 delegates descend on the UAE capital.

This win highlights the growing status of Abu Dhabi and the UAE's ability to attract the world’s most prestigious events, said a senior official.
 
"Following the country’s acclaimed title as the world’s ‘No 1 transport infrastructure’ by the World Economic Forum this year, this win enables us to not only share our success to date with the world but also provides us with continued access to the world’s most intellectual minds with regards to transport infrastructure," remarked Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, the DoT chairman.

"The ability to share global knowledge, along with the obvious financial benefits to our economy, makes this a significant win for both Abu Dhabi and the UAE," he added.

Minister of Public Works Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nueimi, who is also the chairman of the National Transport Authority (NTA) stressed that the UAE has hosted world class events in recent years demonstrating its exceptional capability in conference venues, international accessibility, state of the art road infrastructure, as well as its safety and security.

"All these factors place the UAE at the heart of the interest of world experts in road design. This win will drive the UAE to continue to strive for excellence in infrastructure development," noted Dr Abdullah.
 
On the winning bid, the president of the World Road Association, said: "The UAE's tender was hugely impressive and showed our members the array of positive benefits that hosting the prestigious event in Abu Dhabi would bring to the association."

"We would like to thank the UAE presentation team and we look forward to a hugely successful congress in 2019," he added.-TradeArabia News Service