Source: www.rta.ae
The Dubai Roads & Transport Authority has landed the Gulf Engineering Union’s Excellence & Innovation Award for the Dubai Metro Project, the longest automated metro project undertaken as a single unit in the world.
The Award was presented during the 13th Gulf Engineering Forum held recently in Kuwait under the patronage of the Kuwaiti Prime Minister HH Sheikh Nasir Al Mohammad Al Sabbah under the theme: “Transport & Traffic Issues: Opportunities & Aspirations”.
The UAE was selected to host the 14th edition of the Forum (2010), which will be held in the emirate of Dubai under the theme: “Intelligent Systems in transport and mobility modes”.
The Award was received on behalf of RTA Chairman & Executive Director, Chairman of UAE Engineers Society, H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, by the CEO of RTA Rail Agency Abdul Majeed Al Khaja. The Gulf Engineering Union’s Excellence & Innovation Award revolves around two basic concepts; promoting GCC joint engineering work to meet the objectives of the Gulf engineering forums on the one side, and honing the spirits of competitiveness, creativity and excellence in the various fields of engineering activities on the other.
Commenting on landing this prestigious Award H.E. Mattar Al Tayer said: “It is thrilling to add another achievement to the record of the RTA which boasts an array of vital and vital projects and strategic projects that cement the profile of the UAE in general and the emirate of Dubai in particular at the local and regional level. The Award is in fact an incentive for all of us to redouble our efforts and set our sight to achieving the best from our ongoing projects.
“Dubai Metro, which is an inspiration of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, marks the intention of His Highness to provide integrated roads & transport infrastructure.
“More than 30,000 engineers and workers hailing from 5 main contractors and 150 subcontractors have worked in this enormous project. It comprises two lines; the Red and Green. The Red Line extends 52 km and covers 29 stations (4 underground stations: Khalid bin Al Waleed, Al Ittihad, Riggah and Port Saeed, and 25 elevated stations, including two stations at Dubai International Airport). The Green line extends about 22 km over 18 stations (including 6 underground stations) and runs 10 km in an underground track” said Al Tayer.
In constructing Dubai Metro, RTA used the latest technology in rail industry and the stations have been designed in an innovative architectural style that forms an excellent and unique blend between modernity and the authenticity, reflecting the four elements of nature; water, air, fire and earth, besides the heritage design of Al Ras & Al Ghubaiba Stations.
More than 30,000 engineers and workers hailing from 5 main contractors and 150 subcontractors have worked in this enormous project, and sophisticated methods have been used in constructing the metro viaducts using 10 gantry cranes, and 3 tunnel boring machines.
Al Tayer continued: “RTA has managed to overcome a host of challenges during the construction of Dubai Metro at the top of which comes the delivering of the project on time (about four years) considered a record period, as the completion of such projects usually takes 3 times this period. Building the world’s longest driverless Metro system to be constructed in a single project was also another challenge and so was the recording of an average accident rate below the international rate with one injury per one million working hours.
Challenges list also includes providing the highest level of architectural finishes in the trains, stations and annexes, achieving full integration with other modes of transportation such as buses, taxis and water transport, building the largest underground metro station in the world at Union square with a total area of 220,000 square feet, using state-of-the-art technology in the rail industry, providing every comfort and entertainment packages to passengers, and operating the Metro system transporting passengers from 200 nationalities and backgrounds”.
For his part Abdul Majeed Al Khaja, CEO of Rail Agency said: “Winning this Award would not have been made without the wise directives and ongoing support of H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, as well as the tireless efforts of RTA field teams engaged in this project which plays a crucial role in driving transportation multi-modal integration and raises the ridership of public transport modes”.
The Award event was attended by Dr. Khaleel Al Hosani, Vice-Chairman of the UAE Engineers Society, Adnan Al Hamadi, Director of Rail Construction Projects Dep’t at RTA Rail Agency, and Abdullah Yousef Al Ali, Director of Bus Dep’t at RTA Public Transport Agency.
