The need for driving change for sustainability, connected and automated vehicles and road safety were among the topics addressed during the fifth and final day of the 26th World Road Congress in Abu Dhabi.

Continuing the momentum of the previous four days of high-level discussions, hundreds of delegates including thought-leaders, engineers and academics gathered for the last day to reflect back on the success of the Congress as a major step was taken in reshaping the future of the roads sector worldwide.

At Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), eight sessions took place in the morning before the first Congress to be held in the Middle East was officially closed during a spectacular ceremony.
 
In his closing remarks, Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Chairman of the Federal Authority for Land and Maritime Transport, expressed his gratitude to all the delegates that attended the World Road Congress.

He pointed out that the important discussions that took place during the week would contribute towards improving the way we travel in the future. He also explained how Abu Dhabi had brought together the rest of the world in line with the theme of the Congress.

"We are honoured to have hosted the 26th World Road Congress which took place for the first time in the Middle East and we hope it will not be the last time," he noted.

"Under our theme – ‘Connecting Cultures and Enabling Economies’, we have seen people connect not just through roads but also through intellectual communication. This showed Abu Dhabi has succeeded in hosting a successful World Road Congress," he added.

“We have seen the discussions revolve around different topics and the Congress has provided viable solutions that will help with the development of sustainable infrastructure using positive energy roads and implementing artificial intelligence.

“We have also provided the opportunity to showcase Abu Dhabi’s world-class road infrastructure through a series of technical visits and show why the UAE has been ranked first in the Road Quality Index in the Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report for four years in a row,” stated Dr Al Nuaimi.
 
The closing ceremony also provided an opportunity to reflect back on the past five days of discussions and analyse what action needs to be taken ahead of the 27th edition in Prague.

Claude Van Rooten, PIARC President took to the stage to introduce the World Road Association’s Strategic Plan for 2020-2023.

"Road administration, mobility, safety and sustainability and resilient infrastructure are the four strategic themes that PIARC will focus on during the next four years,” he noted.
 
Patrick Mallejacq, Secretary General of PIARC, said this week’s discussions will play an integral role in developing the road’s infrastructure and emphasised regular talks will be needed going forward.

He said: “This week we have exchanged ideas, best practices on different topics such as disaster management, monitoring information, transportation strategies and electric vehicles which have all been useful.”

“But roads need to have find a place in the larger context in a holistic approach and we have to continue enabling regular dialogue between road authorities, regulators and service providers to build sustainable infrastructure,” he added.
 
A delegation from Czech Republic flew into Abu Dhabi and personally invited the delegates to the 27th World Road Congress which will be held in 2023 at Prague.

The delegation, led by Tomas Cocek, Deputy Minister for Transport and Adam Scheinherr, Deputy Mayor of Prague revealed they are looking forward to hosting the event for the second time in its history after first staging the Congress in 1971.

A delegation from Canada also invited the audience to Winter Road Congress in 2022 in Calgary. They highlighted the nation will build on the success in the UAE and will provide another opportunity to engage on a series of important topics.
 
During one of the morning sessions, experts discussed the impact of connected driving and the challenges and opportunities it presents to road operators.

The delegates heard that the innovative mode of transport will rely on exchanging information through embedded sensor technology that will improve the flow of traffic.

As part of a study, experts conducted surveys in more than 20 countries including Japan and South Korea and found that connected driving can have significant benefits with road safety and the environment.

It also identified that steps must be taken to deal with emergency vehicles to avoid accidents.-TradeArabia News Service