Roads & Transport Authority - News Details

Under 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, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, inaugurated the 9th Dubai International Project Management Forum (DIPMF).

Themed ‘Beyond Boundaries,’ the event is organised by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in collaboration with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), DP World, and the Project Management Institute (PMI). The forum has attracted heads of government agencies and private entities besides a significant number of project management experts from various countries.

 

Upon arriving at Madinat Jumeirah, His Highness was received by His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, RTA. The opening ceremony was also attended by His Excellency Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director General of HH The Dubai Ruler's Court; His Excellency Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police; HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority; Her Excellency Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, Director General of Dubai's Community Development Authority; HE Dawood Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality; and HE Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council; along with a number of senior officials and a global thought leaders and experts in project management.

 

His Highness, along with other attendees, also watched a film highlighting Dubai's remarkable developmental journey, illustrating its transformation into a key financial and business hub, besides chronicling the forum's evolution and role in advancing best practices and offering innovative project management solutions.

 

Memorable journey

Delivering the keynote speech, David Coulthard, a former Formula One Grand Prix driver, shared his experiences of over 25 years in Dubai and the region. He lauded Dubai's remarkable growth steered by visionary leaders and the global attention it has garnered as a result. Coulthard also praised the impressive spirit of teamwork that has enabled Dubai's remarkable achievements.

During his speech, Coulthard recounted memorable moments from his F1 racing career, including being the first to test the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi and savouring the experience of driving an F1 car on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai. He also touched upon the latest technological advancements in the fields of energy and mobility, as also permanent solutions to the challenges encountered therein while referencing racing cars. He also reflected on the drive towards achieving zero carbon emissions by 2030 while boosting safety and efficiency standards. This goal was underscored during the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference held in the UAE last December, emphasising the importance of optimising the use of available energy resources.

 

Sponsors honoured

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed, along with His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, honoured the forum's organising partners, namely DEWA, DP World, and the Project Management Institute. Sponsors honoured included Dubai Municipality, Nakheel, ENOC, Qatar Insurance Company, Al Naboodah, FAMCO, United Motors & Heavy Equipment Co. LLC, Wade Adams Contracting LLC, Gunal Construction Trade & Industry Company, Alghanim International General Trading & Contracting Co., SAS, Al Zarouni International Equipment LLC, RTC Road and Traffic Engineering, and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. His Highness also decorated David Coulthard, the keynote speaker of the forum.

 

His Highness admired a large mural chronicling the evolution of Dubai's transportation sector since 1920, starting with the era of abras and boats along Dubai Creek and beaches. It highlighted the landmark moment in 1930 when Dubai welcomed its first car, followed by the introduction of the first public bus service in 1968 and the launch of the taxi service in 1995.

The establishment of RTA in November 2005 marked a new era of rapid development of mass transportation. It started in 2007 with the launch of the water bus service, followed in 2009 by the monumental launch of the Dubai Metro, the world's longest driverless Metro network. The inauguration of the water taxi service in 2010 and the Dubai Ferry service in 2011 kept up the momentum.

Introduced in 2014, the Dubai Tram became the first tram system outside Europe to operate with a ground-based electric supply system. In 2016, Dubai ventured into shared mobility services and began testing autonomous vehicles. 2023 bore witness to the first demo ride of the Cruise autonomous electric vehicle and, looking ahead to 2026, Dubai envisions an aerial taxi network to be operational, a perfect fit for a city that knows no boundaries in leading the way for a futuristic global transportation system.

 

Premier global platform

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer said: “The Dubai International Project Management Forum has evolved into a premier global platform, attracting experts, researchers, and thought leaders in project management from the region. It serves as a venue for exchanging experiences, discussing engineering solutions for future urban developments, reviewing top international practices, and offering innovative approaches to managing mega projects.

 

“Project management has emerged as an efficient tool for structuring and managing operations within the public and private sectors. The swift pace of technological advancements has reshaped the fundamentals of project management, business, and the economy. At the forum, the emphasis is on implementing smart, sustainable, and innovative project management practices to secure optimal results. The ninth edition of the forum is a notable gathering of 2,700 project managers from across the globe, focusing on three key themes – Sustainability, Modern methods of project management, and Future trends and technology,” he added.

 

Key sessions and masterclasses

On the opening day, the forum featured several key sessions, including Future trends in project management, From project management office to value management office, Sustainability and green project management, and Project management offices and institutional transformation.

 

On the second day, the forum will discuss a variety of topics including agile transformation, digital twin and metaverse, leading mega projects and strategic transformations, a roadmap for economic and environmental prosperity, leading the future: visionary leadership for success, cinematic symphony: project management in film production, project and circular economy, breakthrough innovations and technologies in sports and sports medicine.

 

On the sidelines of the forum, several masterclasses were held on topics ranging from agile transformation, effective negotiation skills for business success, recovering troubled projects, project portfolio management, value delivery systems in projects, Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data management.