Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority has signed memoranda of understanding with Huawei Technologies and CASCO SIGNAL LTD. during an official delegation visit to China, deepening ties with two of the country's leading technology and rail systems firms as the authority looks to accelerate digital transformation and advance its metro expansion agenda.
The delegation, led by RTA Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors Mattar Al Tayer, visited Shanghai in coordination with the Dubai International Chamber's representative office in the city. It included CEOs, directors and engineers from across RTA's agencies and sectors.
The MoU with CASCO SIGNAL LTD., which specialises in signalling, communications and control systems for metro and rail networks, provides for the establishment of a dedicated research and development centre and innovation laboratory in Dubai. Tied to the Dubai Metro Blue Line project and future metro developments, the centre will offer an integrated environment for system testing, functional verification and technical training, simulating actual operating conditions ahead of service entry.
The facility will also support local acceptance testing, research into smart operation and maintenance, and AI-driven scheduling to improve efficiency across the metro network. RTA described the centre as a strategic step in positioning Dubai as a regional hub for rail and public transport innovation.
The agreement with Huawei covers collaboration across artificial intelligence, information security, networking systems and traffic flow management. It includes joint workshops, proof-of-concept trials and the development of smart city applications aligned with Dubai's 20-Minute City vision. The partnership also explores unified data platforms, AI-powered real-time incident detection, smart operations centres, and digital infrastructure upgrades to ensure business continuity.
Beyond the signing ceremonies, the delegation held a series of meetings and field visits with Chinese government bodies, institutions and companies across transport, urban planning, infrastructure and smart mobility.
In Shanghai, the delegation visited the Command and Control Centre of the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, where officials were briefed on how the city coordinates roads, metro, buses, taxis, airports, freight and traffic management for a population of more than 24 million. They also visited the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources to study the city's application of the 15-minute city concept and its integrated transport planning approach.
The delegation experienced the Shanghai Maglev, one of the world's fastest commercial train services, and visited the Hongqiao Integrated Transport Hub, a globally recognised model for multimodal connectivity. Additional stops included major road, bridge and tunnel projects, as well as companies specialising in autonomous driving, predictive maintenance, smart logistics and metro control systems.
Al Tayer said China represents a leading global model in transport, rail infrastructure and digital technology, and that the visit was aimed at gaining first-hand insight into these experiences and identifying new opportunities for knowledge exchange. He added that the two MoUs reflect RTA's broader direction of expanding the use of emerging technologies and AI across its operations, with a view to improving service quality, customer experience and operational efficiency.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
