Some of the Gulf region’s top engineers will be at a key forum in Dubai to exchange ideas and critical insights on developing intelligent and sustainable transportation systems.

The Gulf Engineering Forum is being organised by the UAE Society of Engineers (SOE) from December 19 to 21 at the InterContinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City.

The event, organised under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry for the UAE, is being held in the emirate for the third time in its 14-year history.

The forum, which will be held under the theme ‘Intelligent Transport Systems,’ will witness one of the largest gatherings of engineers from across the GCC, said the organisers.

'As a professional body of engineers, it is our responsibility to support government entities and the private sector in addressing issues of development that are relevant to our industry,' said Essa Al Maidour, SOE chairman and assistant director for Engineering and Planning at Dubai Municipality.

'Transportation has been specifically selected as the theme for this year’s forum to underscore the importance of effective transportation system to the economic growth of any society,' he stated.

Specifically, keynotes will cover areas like infrastructural development, awareness as means of reducing traffic congestions, traffic policies and their role in upgrading the capacity of roads and transportation network, technical and environmental specifications pertaining to transportation systems and project management techniques, Al Maidour explained.

Presentations from the SOE will focus on integration in transportation, modern technologies for parking and traffic awareness, he said.

Also, the Roads Transport Authority (RTA) will provide case studies to showcase key milestones on the remarkable progress made on transportation in the emirate, he added.

As part of the three-day conference, an exhibition will be organised to showcase various engineering developments in transportation across government and private sectors in GCC region.

Technical visits will also be made to various transport departments in Dubai including the Dubai Metro, control units and public transportation. In addition, there will be an awards program to recognize and celebrate innovative professionals and students in engineering.

The Gulf Engineering Forum is organised annually by the Gulf Engineering Union which is an umbrella body for Society of Engineers across the GCC. The UAE hosted previous editions of the event in 1998 and 2004.-TradeArabia News Service