Dubai will host UITP Global Public Transport Summit in 2026

Dubai has been selected as the host city for the upcoming UITP Global Public Transport Summit, scheduled to take place in 2026.

The leading international event brings together industry leaders, policymakers and experts to discuss and shape the future of public transportation.

The announcement was made by the International Association for Public Transport (UITP) at the this year’s Summit held in Barcelona, Spain. Dubai will host the prestigious event for the second time, following its successful hosting of the 59th UITP World Congress and Exhibition in 2011.

A premier global event on the public transport industry’s calendar, the UITP Global Public Transport Summit features the participation of over 1,900 delegates from 100 countries and attracts more than 15,000 attendees.

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and His Excellency Mohamed Mezghani, Secretary General of the UITP, signed the hosting of the Summit agreement at RTA’s stand in the UITP Exhibition, in the presence of several officials from RTA and UITP.

Strategic Partnership

Al Tayer thanked the UITP presidency for selecting Dubai as the host city for the event.

“We are proud of our long-standing relationship with the UITP, which began with the establishment of RTA in 2005, and reached a milestone when Dubai successfully hosted the UITP World Congress and Exhibition in 2011, marking its debut in the MENA region. The collaboration was further strengthened with the establishment of the MENA Centre for Transport Excellence, and the hosting of four editions of the UITP MENA Congress and Exhibition in Dubai, which is slated to renew its hosting of the event for the fifth time in 2024,”

he added.

UITP

His Excellency Mohamed Mezghani, Secretary General of the UITP, said:

“When the UITP Global Public Transport Summit arrives in Dubai in 2026, it will be exactly fifteen years since the Summit was last hosted there in 2011. Even back then, the city was very well advanced in terms of urban mobility. Since then, public transport has developed at a truly impressive rate thanks to the strong focus and commitment of RTA. With the changes to our global events strategy, Dubai will become the first city outside of Europe to host the new UITP Annual Summit.I'm excited to see what outstanding urban mobility options the delegates will experience upon their arrival.”

Huge Success

The successful staging of the 59th UITP World Congress and Exhibition in 2011 by RTA marked a milestone as the first such event in the MENA region. The accompanying exhibition, spanning around 30,000 square meters, saw a 12% increase in exhibitors, while over 10,000 visitors attended. The event also witnessed the announcement of the winners of the inaugural UITP PTx2 Challenge.

This congress strengthened the partnership between RTA and UITP, leading to the establishment of the MENA Centre for Transport Excellence and the agreement to host the UITP MENA Transport Congress in Dubai every two years for a decade. The fifth edition is set to take place in 2024, further enhancing Dubai's commitment to advancing public transportation and reinforcing its position as a knowledge hub in the region.

News Source: Dubai Media Office