His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) opened today the 5th Emirati French Business Engagement Summit.

The Summit, organised by RTA in collaboration with the French Business Council ‘CCI France UAE,’ was attended by His Excellency Nicolas Niemtchinow, Ambassador of the French Republic to the UAE; Her Excellency Nathalie Kennedy, Consul General of the French Republic in Dubai; Mr. Geoffroy Marie Bunetel , President of CCI France UAE, along with numerous officials, company owners, businessmen, and investors.

The 5th edition of the Summit, themed “Towards More Sustainable Mobility and Cities Solutions” featured the participation of over 35 prominent companies specialising in mobility and innovation. These included French companies as well as government and private entities from both the UAE and the Republic of France.

Attractive Investment Environment

During his opening address at the Summit, Al Tayer praised the summit’s accomplishments in the past editions in strengthening the relationships with the French companies in fields of common concern. He emphasised that the gathering serves as a vital platform for ongoing collaboration with French companies in the areas of innovation, sustainability, and mobility.

“Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, as well as His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, we are committed to realising one of our paramount goals, and that is cultivating an appealing investment environment for the private sector in Dubai.

Successful Partnerships

“RTA is dedicated to forging partnerships with the private sector, facilitated by a robust legal framework that supports and encourages successful collaborations with private entities. RTA has already achieved significant partnerships in various sectors, including aerial taxis, autonomous vehicles, and Robo Taxi services. Simultaneously, efforts are underway to commercialise and privatise certain activities. Notably, RTA has recently listed three companies for public offering, namely Salik, Dubai Taxi, and Parkin, with a combined market valuation of approximately AED45 billion.

“RTA is committed to exploring and capitalising on growth opportunities in areas such as payment and advertising services. We are open to strategic partnerships that can accelerate the expansion of these businesses and support sustainable supply chains,” said Al Tayer.

The Blue Line

“RTA’s efforts extend beyond enhancing traditional transportation modes. They also focus on fostering innovation in new and emerging sectors, including ambitious initiatives like autonomous transport, digital transformation in services and automation, and expanding the metro network, including notable projects such as the Dubai Metro Blue Line costing AED18 billion, and UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy, which includes exploring alternative energy sources like hydrogen fuel,” said Al Tayer.

“RTA is keen to foster the partnership with the French Business Council. The French companies had carried out several projects, such as Dubai Tram and Route 2020 with Alstom, Enterprise Command and Control Centre (EC3) with Thales, and the designation of Keolis as the franchise operator for the Dubai Metro. Our estimates indicate that the value of this cooperation has so far surpassed AED9.5 billion. This figure is substantial by any measure and clearly reflects the depth of positive French Emirati collaboration. We are eager to continue this relationship and to further broaden its scope.”

Dubai, the Privileged Destination

His Excellency Nicolas Niemtchinov – Ambassador of the French Republic to the UAE, said, “The Business Engagement Summit has become an essential part of the life of the French Emirati cooperation. French expertise is undeniable in the mobility field and Dubai remains a privileged destination for our companies, which offer ever more innovative and sustainable solutions thanks to a shared vision to achieve COP’s goals and to make our cities more resilient.”

Geoffroy Marie Bunetel, president of CCI France UAE, said, “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the teams from the Roads and Transport Authority and CCI France UAE for successfully organizing the 5th edition of the « Business Engagement Summit ». This pivotal event highlights the strong partnership between our organizations, which greatly benefits our business community.

“Our French companies are globally renowned for their expertise in mobility and smart city solutions, making our plenary session and workshops even more significant. Therefore, I am pleased to officially sign today the extension of our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with RTA for another three years,” he added.

Sustainable Communities

Abdeljabbar Ben Salem, Senior Vice President – Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia Business Unit of RATP Dev, said: “RATP Dev is committed to contributing to the development of sustainable cities – cities that are shared equitably between all forms of mobility, that are resource-efficient, inclusive, dynamic and connected to their territories. Whether this be through reduction of CO2 emissions with electric buses and metros, or employment and knowledge sharing with local communities, our ambition is to make a direct contribution to making cities more sustainable. For the communities we serve, for the planet, and for future generations.”

MoU

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), alongside His Excellency Nicholas Niemtchinow , Ambassador of the French Republic to the UAE, attended the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the RTA and the French Business Council, CCI France-UAE. The MoU aims to bolster strategic cooperation and partnership, integrate efforts, and share expertise. The MoU was signed by Mona Al Osaimi, Acting CEO of Strategy and Corporate Governance Sector, Executive Director of Strategic Planning at RTA, and Mr. Geoffroy Marie Bunetel President of CCI France-UAE.

Key Discussions

The 5th Emirati French Business Engagement Summit explored a variety of critical topics. Experts, specialists, and leaders from both RTA and the French contingent delved into innovative transportation solutions, future prospects for sustainable mobility, and international best practices in transportation. Discussions also covered smart mobility, infrastructure, big data, and strategies for achieving a greener future in mobility.

Diverse Opportunities

The Emirati French Business Engagement Summit serves as a model for ongoing public-private partnerships, fostering a range of opportunities to leverage smart technologies and best practices. It enhances transportation services and future planning in line with RTA’s vision for global leadership in accessible and sustainable mobility, and its mission to provide safe transportation by developing service systems and elevating the customer experience to a global standard.

Robust Partnerships

RTA maintains strong relationships with the French business community, evidenced by the 19 French companies qualified by RTA. These collaborations reflect RTA’s extensive experience in partnering with the private sector to implement a variety of infrastructure projects across road sectors, transportation systems, and big data utilisation, capitalising on French expertise renowned globally in the field of mobility.