Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said it has secured a key certification from the British Standards Institute (BSI) in building information modelling (BIM) – Maintenance and Operation Phase.

With this achievement, the RTA has become the first government body worldwide to obtain (BIM Kite-Mark Certificate PAS 1192-3:2014, BS 1192:2007 and BS 1192-4:2014).

The coveted certificate was awarded to Mattar Al Tayer, the director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the RTA, at a major ceremony by Phillip Parham, British Ambassador to the UAE, and Theuns Kotzé, managing director – BSI Middle East and Africa.

Al Tayer expressed his delight for the RTA to obtain this certificate, as it reflected the efforts made to play a leading role in the use of digital data in asset management.

On the key certificate, Al Tayer said: "Obtaining it contributes to the automation and digital management of designs and assets and opens effective communication between the RTA and relevant parties."

"It will help achieve the objectives set in a shorter time in line with the Smart Government drive aimed at ranking Dubai as the smartest city worldwide through applying sophisticated techniques in achieving excellent government performance," he stated.

Al Tayer pointed out that being the first government entity in the world to obtain this coveted international certificate was a testament to RTA’s commitment to the highest practices of the BIM.

"It also signals RTA’s keenness to adopt innovation and excellence, and cementing its leading role in implementing this system in the UAE and beyond," he added.

Gary Pattison, BIM and digital construction technical expert at BSI, said: "We were extremely impressed with the RTA’s collaborative approach to BIM, ensuring that they work as partners with their supply chain to ensure maximum value."

"The RTA have demonstrated that they are leaders in the field. This includes having a real understanding of what BIM is trying to achieve; investing in the equipment, people and processes to realise the benefits of BIM, and applying this to their most high profile projects using innovative approaches to bring new value," he added.-TradeArabia News Service