Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority, RTA, has inaugurated the Emirati-France Business Summit, which is being held by the RTA, in collaboration with the French Business Council.

The event attracted the participation of 63 Emirati and French entities.

The Dubai Government is keen to foster an investment climate to encourage the private sector to take part in the development projects and inject more investment in a variety of fields.

For this purpose, Law No 22/2015 was issued to regulate the partnership between the public and private sectors in Dubai.

The RTA has charted out a comprehensive PPP policy and rolled out a process to review and undertake such projects, as well as set the scope for jobs to serve as a reference for preparing and implementing the PPP projects.

Currently, 19 French companies have been qualified by the RTA, and the French firms have delivered contracts worth more than AED17 billion. Among the key projects undertaken by the French companies, is the development of the Dubai Tram. Spearheaded by French firm Alstom, Expolink Consortium is undertaking Route 2020 project to extend the Red Line of Dubai Metro to the site of World Expo.

"The RTA has a solid background in dealing and partnering with the private sector in various projects relating to the infrastructure of roads and transit systems. The projects that will be released by the RTA in its Strategic Plan 2017–2021 will offer numerous opportunities for co-operation with the private sector.

Ludovic Pouille, France’s Ambassador to the UAE, appreciated the existing co-operation between the UAE and France in various fields.

"The Emirati-France Business Engagement Summit will enhance communication and encourage the exchange of practices during projects. Dubai is a privileged destination for companies that wish to expand to international markets, due to the common vision and openness towards sustainable development, innovation and creative finance schemes," he noted.

"French expertise in the mobility field is undeniable. Many companies are already involved in projects in Dubai, and I wish to thank the Dubai authorities, especially Mattar Al Tayer, for placing their trust in French technologies," the Ambassador remarked.

Following the opening ceremony, a discussion panel on "New Models for Alternative Finance of Transport" was held.