Moving towards sustainable mobility through innovation

With the MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition heading to Dubai from 28 February-1 March 2024, the event’s organiser UITP, the International Association of Public Transport is working alongside local partner and co-host Roads and Transport Authority Dubai (RTA) to bring the world of urban mobility together for the largest event of its kind within the Middle East and North Africa region.

UITP MENA Events and Training Manager Dure Shewar, Project Manager for the MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition, speaks about the need for a greater move towards sustainable mobility options to make our cities more innovative and livable along the way.

MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition

UITP and the city of Dubai share a lengthy and successful relationship going all the way back to the 1990s.

As the only association of our kind to bring together all public transport stakeholders, each of them working towards advancing sustainability urban mobility in our cities, we know the value of connecting with people in one of the most innovative parts of the world.

When our membership in the United Arab Emirates began to grow, UITP knew that we needed to provide several ways in which the public transport sector could connect, exchange, and debate the future of city living, with sustainability and innovation at the very heart.

One of those such ways is the MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition (MTCE), which will be arriving in Dubai from 28 February to 1 March this year.

As the premiere event of its kind in the region, no platform showcases more on the growth of the urban mobility landscape that the MENA Transport gathering.

We know that more and more people are calling our cities home, and with projections showing high growth in urban living, we need to make sure we provide the best opportunities for movement that have public transport at the very centre.

For UITP, our actions and activities within the MENA region are among the most active of all our global output.

We believe in bringing our members as close to the association as possible, and working closely with our local partner the Roads and Transport Authority Dubai (RTA), we have our sights sets on placing the spotlight on the significant investments in public transport projects that the MENA region is witnessing.

There are one billion cars worldwide, and with urbanisation this is only expected to increase.

At the same time, cities currently account for 70 percent of carbon emissions, most of which come from both the transport and energy sectors. If no measures are taken, total motorised mobility in cities may increase by 94 percent between 2015-2050.

Decarbonising the transport sector is largely dependent on increasing the modal share of trips made by sustainable modes, and in the MENA region we are currently expanding sustainable mobility services on all fronts to meet the climate challenge and ensure people’s wellbeing.

With an congress programme in place, to be held across three days, alongside our global exhibition, the MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition will be hosted under the 2024 theme “Sustainable Mobility and Wellbeing”. This exemplifies our unwavering commitment to shaping a greener future for urban mobility.

The electrification and adoption of cleaner, alternative fuels are essential for decarbonising transport, and the COVID-19 pandemic has also shown us the importance of clean air, active transportation, and safe public spaces for well-being in urban mobility. 

Innovation is no longer a choice in rapidly expanding cities – as cities continue to expand, the need for sustainable and efficient urban mobility solutions cannot be overstated.

The demand for advanced and innovative transport tools is on the rise, and it is vital that we develop them. 

In order to continue moving the needle on reducing emissions in our cities, and moving more people towards sustainable modes of travel, we need to harness cutting-edge technology, and implement effective policies.

We can only do that by bringing together the biggest and brightest names in urban mobility. For it will only be through collaboration and engagement that the answers to the pending questions on sustainability can be found.

We often say that it’s the people who make public transport – the people who work in it, and the people who use it. We also say that our sector is defined by its strong strength of community.

During the MENA Transport event, our audience will get to see that strength of community up close.