Roads and Transport Authority has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Birmingham Dubai. Initially, the MoU calls for the two parties to cooperate in setting up a transport education and research programme that will help to train the next generation of UAE transport engineers.

Nasir Bu Shehab, CEO of Strategy and Corporate Governance and Professor Tim Jones, Provost and Vice-Principal signed respectively for the RTA and the University of Birmingham at a recent signing ceremony.

“The MoU reflects RTA’s efforts to cooperate with local universities in line with its vision and policies, especially as academic programmes provided by RTA for employees are linked to several programmes run by universities in the UAE,” said Bu Shehab.

“The signing of the MoU with the University of Birmingham is part of this strategic objective. It provides a means for RTA to access all academic programmes offered by the University and take part in research and consultancy studies for the benefit of the Dubai economy and the UAE as a whole. The cooperation between the two parties includes seminars, conferences and research of relevance to the RTA,” he added.

Professor Jones expressed his delight with the University’s cooperation with a high-profile government entity such as RTA. “We are proud of working with a prominent regional and global entity in the field of roads and transport such as RTA with impressive achievements that have put Dubai in the world map of global competitiveness.

“As a global university with a civic outlook, we are committed to playing our part in supporting the UAE as it drives economic progress through knowledge and innovation. This understanding marks the start of an exciting period of collaboration between the University of Birmingham Dubai and the Roads and Transport Authority.

“Through the MoU, we will cooperate in designing educational programmes tailored to the needs of RTA and enable its employees taking such programmes at the University to use the University’s facilities in this regard,” he added.

The MOU will see experts from the world-renowned Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) support the RTA’s work in delivering the UAE’s vision of expanding the country’s rail network.