Dubai - MENA Herald: The Federal Transport Authority - Land and Maritime and Fleming Events held a press conference to announce the second edition of NATRANS Expo, slated to be held from 25 to 26 October 2016, in Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuami, Minister of Infrastructure Development, and Chairman of the Federal Transport Authority – Land and Maritime.
The press conference, which was held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Dubai, was presided by His Excellency Abdullah Salem Alkathiri, Director General of the Federal Transport Authority Land & Maritime, Dirk Ahlborn, CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Peter Costa, Vice President of Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions, John Greaves, Secretary General of Last Mile Consortia (LMC), Colin Fullalove, Director, Middle East - Cubic Transportation Systems Ltd. A number of VIPs, industry experts and journalists were also present at the press conference.
Commenting on the event, H.E. Dr Alkatiri said: "The UAE is always attracting the latest trends and discoveries in numerous aspects of the transportation technology that will bolster the UAE's initiatives to advance its society in various sectors." H.E. added that the Federal Authority supported NATRANS Expo in its the first edition in 2015, and it plans to support it again this year due to its major success in putting forward many important topics and attracting companies to showcase their creative and effective contributions to the transportation sector, which will eventually help in supporting the development of the UAE and the Arabian Gulf.
H.E. Alkatiri went on saying: "We look forward to the participation of hundreds of high-level experts and specialists in the transport and smart cities sectors from all over the world at the second edition of NATRANS Expo. We also welcome the participation of the critically acclaimed Hyperloop and Honeywell companies, and not to forget Last Mile Consortia, the platinum sponsor of this event. We also expect no less than 100 exhibitors and 50 speakers from global institutions and bodies concerned to attend NATRANS Expo."
Commenting on this event, Dirk Ahlborn, Hyperloop CEO and the strategic partner of NATRANS Expo, said: " We’re proud to say that this is our second participation at NATRANS, as we were strongly present in the first edition in 2015. This year, we hope that through NATRANS Expo 2016, we get to attract more relevant transport authorities and government bodies from the GCC to embrace this advanced technology that will change many aspects of the transportation industry and create a technological leap like no other in the region. "
The Hyperloop is conceptual high-speed transportation system originally put forward by entrepreneur Elon Musk. It relies on airless tubes with zero air pressure to connect between stations in the system, where hurtling capsules runs on compressed airbags so as not to come into contact with the walls of the tube. Those capsules carry passengers at high speeds that go up to 1220 KM / hour, and they are currently being tested in the United States.
From his side, Peter Costa, vice president, Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions, Middle East, said: "We are delighted to be supporting the 2nd edition of the NATRANS Expo. Honeywell, as a leading global provider of technologies which enable sustainable transportation, smart buildings, and smart cities, is perfectly placed to help provide solutions to tackle the opportunities and challenges which lay ahead. We look forward to sharing our expertise and technology in this sphere, as we are very much aligned with regional efforts to boost sustainability, use assets and resources more efficiently, and help build a region that is safer, more secure, and more productive."
John Greaves, the Secretary-General of Last Mile Consortia, and Chairman of the NATRANS Conference added saying:" The outlook for the transportation sector within the UAE is optimistic, driven by government investment programs such as the Vision 2021 and Abu Dhabi’s ‘Surface Transport Master Plan’ (STMP) which aims at improving the country’s strategic infrastructure”.
Greaves added: “Over $21bn of transport projects are forecast for 2016-2017 period in the UAE. Investments in Abu Dhabi are in line with Abu Dhabi’s STMP, while investments in the transportation sector in Dubai are mainly driven by the Expo 2020 and offers enormous growth opportunities for investors and suppliers in this space”.
NATRANS Expo aims to be the industry’s go-to annual meeting point to discuss efficient mass transit solutions, transport regulations and new global trends in order to help steer the future investment in modern transport systems. The event is dedicated to sustainable transport solutions and smart cities involving all forms of connected mobility and infrastructure.
The event is organized by Fleming Events and with the support of the Federal Transport Authority Land and Maritime. With Hyperloop Transportation Technologies as the Strategic Partner and Last Mile Consortia as the platinum sponsor.