Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the Middle East Rail Conference and Exhibition 2018 will start on 12th March in Dubai, with the attendance of ministers of transport and transportation of Gulf, Arab and international countries. 

This announcement was made by Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Chairman of the Federal Transport Authority - Land and Maritime, FTA, during a press conference at the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme in Dubai today, to reveal the details of the two-day conference. 

"By issuing the new rail law, the UAE has officially joined a select group of countries that have benefitted from providing the latest and most advanced rail transport services. The law requires federal rail companies in the UAE to prove to the rail regulator, the FTA, that they are capable of managing and performing maintenance on their railways with safety and security. The law complies with the UAE Vision 2021, supports environmental sustainability, creates an integrated infrastructure, strengthens the competitiveness of the economy, and connects various parts of the country," he added. 

"The new law will organise the legislative and legal framework under which the rail sector as well as other bodies, which might be affected by the issuing of this law, will work. This includes current and future rail companies working in the country, the providers of services to the rail sector, and the users of rail services, including passengers or shippers. Examples include the Etihad Rail and the local transportation departments and authorities, which will have to co-ordinate with the Federal Transport Authority for implementation of the law," he added. 

The 2018 edition of the conference has been receiving great response from previous exhibitors and local, regional and international companies. It will give over 290 regional and international bodies of operators, providers and contractors of rails the opportunity to showcase their services to potential buyers and strengthen their business network. 

The percentage of previous exhibitors, who are participating in this year’s edition, reached 64 percent until Thursday. This includes Etihad Rail, X Rail, Greenbrier, Virgin Hyperloop, CAF, AECOM, Progress Rail, and the Department for International Trade in the UK. 

This participation comes within the framework of its efforts to shed light on the role it plays to improve the rail systems and demonstrate its future plans.