Witnessed the opening of the Middle East Rail Conference & Exhibition

Mansour bin Zayed: Railways support economy, investment and humanitarian ties

  • Mansour bin Zayed praised the efforts of the organizers of the Middle East Rail Conference and Exhibition 2023. WAM

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H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, yesterday attended the opening ceremony of the 17th edition of the Middle East Rail Conference and Exhibition 2023 in Abu Dhabi.

His Highness said that the wise leadership of the UAE pays special attention to the development of the transport sector, supporting the railway industry and extending its train network in order to promote development throughout the country, given the vital role played by railways in supporting the economy, enhancing investment opportunities and strengthening human and trade ties.

His Highness praised the efforts of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Etihad Rail, and his vision to develop Etihad Rail's projects, which embody the UAE's ambition to lead in the sectors of transport, freight forwarding, strengthening connectivity between the country's cities, and building strategic partnerships with major international companies leading in the field of railways.

H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan praised the efforts of the organizers of the Middle East Rail Conference and Exhibition 2023 in Abu Dhabi, praising the importance of this event in enhancing the country's capabilities in the field of transport, improving infrastructure, and developing regional and international cooperation in this vital sector.

H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended part of the opening of the exhibition, and witnessed the screening of a film about the achievements of Etihad Rail and its pioneering projects, and toured a number of pavilions of the exhibition, and listened to an explanation about the industries and projects displayed.

The Middle East Rail Conference & Exhibition 2023 is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, in partnership with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the GCC Railways Authority at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

For his part, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei said that the leadership's interest in the transport sector reflects its insightful vision to achieve a comprehensive development renaissance, given the key role of this sector in advancing sustainable development.

He added that the Middle East Rail Conference and Exhibition is a pioneering and important event to develop the sector's structure, modernize its projects, and build global partnerships to obtain the latest solutions and technologies used globally in this vital field.

The event will host a group of ministers representing a number of brotherly and friendly countries, including the Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology of the Sultanate of Oman, Saeed bin Hamoud Al Maawali, the Minister of Transport and Communications of the State of Qatar, Jassim bin Saif Al-Sulaiti, the Minister of Transport of Egypt, Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel Al-Wazir, the Minister of Transport of Tunisia, Rabih Al-Majidi, the Minister of Transport of Iraq, Razzaq Al-Saadawi, and the Minister of Railways, Hugh Berriman.

More than 10,400 participants, including 300 distinguished speakers, will attend this year's edition and more than <> exhibitors competing to provide innovative solutions for the development of the sector.

The agenda of the conference covers many different topics over two days, yesterday and today, and its first day focused largely on innovation and digitization, addressing issues covering smart terminals and the digitization of logistics, as well as contactless payment systems. The first day also focused clearly on connectivity issues, with sessions on port connectivity and cross-border operations on the agenda.

On the second day, participants will address issues related to sustainability and financing, especially as the UAE will host COP28 later this year.

The agenda includes sessions on the role of railways in reducing carbon emissions, as well as the use of hydrogen in train technology.

It is worth noting that the national railway network plays an important role in providing a modern and sustainable network for the transport of all types of goods, including petrochemicals, crude steel, limestone, cement, building materials, industrial and household waste, aluminum, food commodities and general cargo, and contributes to strengthening the country's position as a transport hub in the region.