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Hi Dubai
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Hi Dubai
Dubai Wins Bid to Host Global Public Transport Summit 2026
Dubai has been officially selected to host the Global Public Transport Summit in 2026, marking its second time as host following its debut in 2011. The announcement came during this year's summit in Hamburg, Germany, where Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) received the official hosting flag from the International Association of Public Transport (UITP). Led by Director-General Mattar Al Tayer, the RTA delegation showcased Dubai's advancements in sustainable and smart mobility. The summit gathered over 1,900 participants from more than 100 countries and featured 300 speakers across 80 panels, alongside a major transport exhibition. In a significant move, RTA signed four agreements to procure 637 low-emission buses worth AED1.1 billion. Set for delivery in 2025 and 2026, the fleet includes 40 electric buses—marking the UAE's largest and first-of-its-kind order. The new buses, built to Euro 6 standards, feature smart systems, inclusive design, and enhanced safety technologies. Suppliers include Volvo, MAN, Zhongtong Bus, and Anadolu Isuzu, with an MoU signed with China's BYD to trial a high-tech electric bus in Dubai. The initiative supports RTA's goal of a fully electric and hydrogen-powered fleet by 2050. RTA also presented key projects such as the Aerial Taxi, Dubai Metro Blue Line, 3D-printed electric abras, and a biometric fare system, underscoring Dubai's position as a global hub for next-generation mobility. News Source: Emirates News Agency
ILoveQatar.net
04-06-2025
- Business
- ILoveQatar.net
Qatar tops in MENA region in public transport access, sustainability, and innovation
Qatar ranks first in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in terms of the 'Share of Populations with Convenient Access to Public Transport', with 91.7%, according to the International Association of Public Transport (UITP)'s 'MENA Transport Report 2025' issued by the Centre for Transport Excellence. This year's edition broadened its scope, covering public transportation systems in 40 cities across 14 MENA countries. The capital city Doha has the world's highest number of kilometers per million inhabitants (64km/1 million population) compared to several world capital cities. Doha also ranks third globally in terms of number of public buses for every one million inhabitants (969 buses/1 million inhabitants), which reflects Qatar's significant investment in public transportation. Regarding the metro network fleet, Doha comes fourth globally in terms of number of metro cars (278 cars/1 million inhabitants). The UITP report lists Qatar among the top 20 countries in the world in terms of public transportation user experience alongside Amsterdam, Geneva and Singapore. The report shows Qatar as one of the most efficient countries in terms of public transportation fare according to the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), making public transportation affordable for all. According to the report, Qatar has one of the highest rankings in the MENA region in environmental sustainability of the transportation system with comprehensive plans for transition to clean energy. It also highlights Qatar among top countries in terms of the smart infrastructure for the public transportation system with an integrated network supported by digital transformation and sustainable facilities. The report lauds Qatar's qualitative progress in upgrading its public transportation system in terms of infrastructure, sustainability, digital transformation, and integration of mobility modes, thereby meeting the needs of its population and visitors and supporting the Qatar National Vision 2030. The report underlines that such qualitative leapfrogs had demonstrated Qatar's position as one of the leading countries in public transportation regionally and internationally. The report also highlighted the Doha Metro as one of the most advanced and most efficient mobility systems in the world thanks to its full driverless automation and high ridership per every 1 million people. It also lauded Doha Metro's role in the success of major events Qatar organizes or hosts, first and foremost the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 where fans enjoyed safe and smooth movement. The report says Lusail Tram stands out and reflects ambitious urban planning. Serving the smart city of Lusail with the highest rates of kilometers per each one million inhabitants if compared to similar cities, the report said Lusail tramway network reflects a forward-looking vision to enhance urban mobility. The report says: 'Qatar has taken significant steps toward electrification, with Doha integrating electric buses into its public transport network. Qatar has outlined plans to transition its public bus fleet to full electrification by 2030, supported by an expanding charging infrastructure and investments in smart mobility.' The report adds that Lusail is home to the world's largest e-bus depot running on solar energy to feed its facilities, with advanced infrastructures including smart charging stations, digital tracking systems, and green maintenance centers. The report also praised Qatar's success in integrating various transportation modes into one system while making several solutions available for users such as electronic payment using cards and via applications and smart platforms for trip planning and bus tracking, something which helps achieve smooth and efficient connectivity between metro networks, buses, trams and shared mobility. The UITP report says that Qatar's experience in public transportation represents a role model, regionally and internationally, combing operational efficiency, environmental sustainability and technology innovation. It also reflects the country's commitment to achieving the QNV 2030 and sustainable development goals and enhances its preparedness to host major events and offers world-class urban mobility experience.
Qatar Tribune
03-06-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar attains top-tier rankings in public transport indicators
Tribune News Network Doha Qatar ranks first in the Middle East and North Africa region in terms of the 'Share of Populations with Convenient Access to Public Transport', with 91.7%, according to the International Association of Public Transport (UITP)'s 'MENA Transport Report 2025' issued by the Centre for Transport Excellence. This year's edition broadened its scope, covering public transportation systems in 40 cities across 14 MENA countries. Doha has the world's highest number of kilometers per million inhabitants (64km/1 million population) compared to several world capital cities. Doha also ranks third globally in terms of number of public buses for every one million inhabitants (969 buses/1 million inhabitants), which reflects Qatar's significant investment in public transportation. Regarding the metro network fleet, Doha comes fourth globally in terms of number of metro cars (278 cars/1 million inhabitants). The UITP report lists Qatar among the top 20 countries in the world in terms of public transportation user experience alongside Amsterdam, Geneva and Singapore. The report shows Qatar as one of the most efficient countries in terms of public transportation fare according to the Purchasing Power Parity, making public transportation affordable for all. page 3
Qatar Tribune
03-06-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar ranks high on International Association of Public Transport 2025 report
DOHA: Qatar has ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in terms of the 'Share of Populations with Convenient Access to Public Transport', with 91.7%, according to the International Association of Public Transport (UITP)'s 'MENA Transport Report 2025' issued by the Centre for Transport Excellence. This year's edition broadened its scope, covering public transportation systems in 40 cities across 14 MENA countries. The capital city Doha has the world's highest number of kilometers per million inhabitants (64km/1 million population) compared to several world capital cities. Doha also ranks third globally in terms of number of public buses for every one million inhabitants (969 buses/1 million inhabitants), which reflects Qatar's significant investment in public transportation. Regarding the metro network fleet, Doha comes fourth globally in terms of number of metro cars (278 cars/1 million inhabitants). The UITP report lists Qatar among the top 20 countries in the world in terms of public transportation user experience alongside Amsterdam, Geneva and Singapore. The report shows Qatar as one of the most efficient countries in terms of public transportation fare according to the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), making public transportation affordable for all. According to the report, Qatar has one of the highest rankings in the MENA region in environmental sustainability of the transportation system with comprehensive plans for transition to clean energy. It also highlights Qatar among top countries in terms of the smart infrastructure for the public transportation system with an integrated network supported by digital transformation and sustainable facilities. The report lauds Qatar's qualitative progress in upgrading its public transportation system in terms of infrastructure, sustainability, digital transformation, and integration of mobility modes, thereby meeting the needs of its population and visitors and supporting the Qatar National Vision 2030. The report underlines that such qualitative leapfrogs had demonstrated Qatar's position as one of the leading countries in public transportation regionally and internationally. The report also highlighted the Doha Metro as one of the most advanced and most efficient mobility systems in the world thanks to its full driverless automation and high ridership per every 1 million people. It also lauded Doha Metro's role in the success of major events Qatar organizes or hosts, first and foremost the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 where fans enjoyed safe and smooth movement. The report says Lusail Tram stands out and reflects ambitious urban planning. Serving the smart city of Lusail with the highest rates of kilometers per each one million inhabitants if compared to similar cities, the report said Lusail tramway network reflects a forward-looking vision to enhance urban mobility. The report says: 'Qatar has taken significant steps toward electrification, with Doha integrating electric buses into its public transport network. Qatar has outlined plans to transition its public bus fleet to full electrification by 2030, supported by an expanding charging infrastructure and investments in smart mobility.' The report adds that Lusail is home to the world's largest e-bus depot running on solar energy to feed its facilities, with advanced infrastructures including smart charging stations, digital tracking systems, and green maintenance centers. The report also praised Qatar's success in integrating various transportation modes into one system while making several solutions available for users such as electronic payment using cards and via applications and smart platforms for trip planning and bus tracking, something which helps achieve smooth and efficient connectivity between metro networks, buses, trams and shared mobility. The UITP report says that Qatar's experience in public transportation represents a role model, regionally and internationally, combing operational efficiency, environmental sustainability and technology innovation. It also reflects the country's commitment to achieving the QNV 2030 and sustainable development goals and enhances its preparedness to host major events and offers world-class urban mobility experience.
The Star
31-05-2025
- The Star
The great era of metro railways is just beginning
ON a winter's morning in 1863, a revolution in urban living began. A group of dignitaries boarded a train in Paddington on the growing north-western fringes of London, and travelled by tunnel six stops to Farringdon, just north of the old heart of the city. The Metropolitan Railway, which you can still ride today as part of the London Underground, was the first to put regular trains on dedicated tracks, cutting through the gridlock that would otherwise plague modern cities. Over the years, networks sprouted in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Moscow, Hong Kong, Cairo and elsewhere. By 2013, they encompassed more than 130 cities, stretching 10,922km – sufficient to get you from the Equator to the North Pole. What's most remarkable is what has happened since. Far from slowing down, we've added almost as much track in the past 10 years as was built in the previous 150, hitting 20,453km in 2023, according to new figures from UITP, the International Association of Public Transport. Not all urban railways are considered metros. (The UITP counts only figures for lines running regular services on dedicated tracks. That means that many suburban commuter services, street-running trams and light railways, and lines with only occasional services are excluded from the figures – not to mention buses and minibus services.) The great era of metro railways is only just dawning. That might seem surprising if you live in one of the many developed cities where extensions of ancient public transport systems are slow, multibillion megaprojects that can take decades to finish. Pay a visit to Asia, however, and it's immediately obvious where the growth has been. From a 19 per cent share of the global track network in 2012, China had grown to a 43 per cent share by 2023. The boom extended to the most isolated places. After barely seven years in operation, the Guiyang Metro in the mountainous backwater of Guizhou province carries more passengers than Chicago's L train, opened in 1893. Mainland China has 28 systems busier than Guiyang, including the four biggest globally in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. It's by no means exclusively a Chinese story. Over the same decade, metros carrying more than a hundred million passengers annually have been opened in Dhaka; Salvador, Brazil; Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai; and Lima. Riyadh's, which started in December, will hit the same scale during its first 12 months in operation. Dozens of smaller networks have started up since 2013, too, in Doha, Ho Chi Minh City, Isfahan, Jakarta, Lagos, Lahore, Panama City, Quito and a host of other places. Not every transit project is a success. In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Abuja, Nigeria, Chinese-built public networks opened in 2015 and 2018 respectively struggled due to poor planning, sparse timetables and a shortage of local parts. In Karachi, the biggest city in the world to lack a metro network, a commuter railway circling the city was closed in 1999 amid a welter of mismanagement, fare dodging and corruption. Talks about reopening it with yet more Chinese money have been dragging on for years. Those are exceptions, though. Once built, most metros attract the passionate loyalty of their passengers and the enthusiastic assent of urban planners, ensuring that money will be found to keep them going through the darkest times. After all, the past decade's boom took place against the backdrop of probably the single biggest blow ever suffered by urban public transport – the Covid-19 pandemic. The collapse of office work during lockdowns, followed by the more gradual shift towards working from home, was financially devastating. At the time, many feared that public transport may enter a death spiral, as declining ticket sales forced networks to reduce services, further depressing passenger numbers. Covid-19 has left a long shadow, to be sure, but things are improving rapidly. As many as 58 billion people took trips by metro in 2023, according to UITP, finally surpassing the 57.9 billion in 2019. That's helping to repair budgets. In the worst days of the pandemic, London's Mayor Sadiq Khan warned that one of the Underground's lines may have to close altogether to help the city balance its books. In 2024, Transport for London posted its first operating surplus in the transit agency's 25-year history. The shift of billions of passengers from roads to rails is helping save hundreds of millions of metric tonnes of carbon emissions, but that's probably not the largest benefit. While the carbon footprint of a metro trip is vastly smaller than in a private car, it's about the same as that of a shared minibus – the main competitor in the developing megacities where urban rail networks are growing fastest. Instead, the greatest advantage of the shift is the way that it is freeing hundreds of millions from the drudgery of endless traffic. A future where it's more pleasant to live and work in the walkable centres of dense cities rather than sprawling, car-dependent suburbs will be one that's better for the climate, for our economies and for human happiness, too. — Bloomberg David Fickling is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering climate change and energy.
