MENA Transport and Infrastructure Conference scheduled for 10-11 May 2010 at the Park Rotana, Abu Dhabi could not have come at a more opportune time. GCC governments are set to invest $55bn in roads and airports, the UAE and other Gulf oil producers are expected to pump more than $55 billion (Dh202bn) into road and airport projects within the next 10 years.

This conference shall discuss the Abu Dhabi Urban Street Design Manual which has been commissioned by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council to address the needs of the growing population and a desire to improve pedestrian facilities to create more walkable communities. Of the plans to upgrade Abu Dhabi's transport infrastructure, a scheme to link several of the emirates islands by road is perhaps the most eye-catching. In Dubai H. E. Mattar Al Tayer confirmed that the Government of Dubai is proceeding with its ongoing drive to upgrade the infrastructure, including roads & transportation projects, out of a solid belief that investment in infrastructure is the core driver of any cosmopolitan city. The Role of PPPs and DOT’s experience with PPPs as a form of project delivery, other important topics to be discussed at the conference will be : ‘’The 21st century challenges of planning mega transportation projects for sustainable urban development’’ and Durability Considerations for Concrete Bridges in the Arabian Gulf.