Al Tayer: RTA's completed project worth AED80 bn, assets touch AED85 bn

Savings in time and fuel from 2006 to 2014 hit AED87 bn

Roads and Transport Authority Mohammed Al Munji: HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), revealed that RTAs expenditure on infrastructure projects since established in November 2005 has reached about 80 billion dirham, and its assets amounted to more than 85 billion dirham.

Al Tayer made these remarks during the launch of Projects Management Development Program (Projects) organized by the RTA in collaboration with the Project Management Institute (PMI) in a periodic meeting with the Executive Directors, Directors and Managers at the RTA.

The giant projects undertaken by the RTA contributing to ranking the UAE at the top of all countries of the world in terms of the quality of roads in 2012 and 2013 according to the Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum. These projects also contributed to improving the quality of life of residents where Dubai was clinched the first position in the quality of living in the MENA region in 2014. Thus RTAs projects have had a positive bearing on the economy of Dubai Emirate, with savings in time and fuel exceeding 87 billion dirham during the period from 2006 till the end of 2014.

Maintaining the achievement and excellent standing achieved by the RTA warrants taking a continual review of RTAs assessment with the aim of learning and improving the business conduct, and identifying lessons learned from the past besides translating them into a factual reality. This can only be achieved through mapping out improved work plans, developing new unconventional initiatives, picking up new knowledge & expertise capable of meeting future requirements, improving points of strength, and engaging in a continuous process of learning and improvement, explained Al Tayer.

RTAs Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors reviewed the future drive of the RTA highlighted by the implementation of the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in terms of reducing the number of visitors of all governments customers service centers by as much as 80% in 2018. Future plans also envisage leveraging customers service strategies as well as the smart city projects, maintaining academic & training programs to qualify second & third generation of leaders, enticing national talents to meet the needs of future phases, and running a new initiative in the field of project management.

Projects

The Projects Management Development Program (Projects) just launched by the RTA complements the project management program accomplished in 2014. The new program aims at uplifting the skills and capacities of employees to be engaged in project planning, construction and management in future to ensure that they are accomplished in a highly professional manner and at world-class standards. It also seeks to qualify & train individuals in various levels of corporate project management, groom young national cadres to take up the role of projects management, qualify some directors and project managers to manage a portfolio of the programs projects, and upgrade the efficiency of managing and monitoring project portfolios. It also intends to increase the number of professional and occupational certificates obtained by RTA employees which will pave the way for developing an internal accreditation by means of certificates awarded by the RTA depicting the ability to manage certain levels of projects & programs. Such a programs bears the potentials of growing further in future to span government entities in the Emirate, stated RTAs Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors.

The programs covers a wide array of mini programs aimed at boosting the skills of target groups in the field of project management to instill in them the principles of project management, management of advanced projects, management of project portfolios, and additional competencies and skills required for project management.

The program will be undertaken over several phases including workshops introducing project management policy, and RTAs leaders project monitoring & following up guide. Then specialists of the program and projects at various agencies & sectors will engage in awareness & follow up efforts about the needs of RTAs project management guides & policies. Affiliates of the program will then be subjected to a test to measure their knowledge about various knowledge projects and project management policy at the RTA. Those who achieve high scores will be affiliated to the first experimental course of RTAs project management improvement program. Successful candidates who complete the training hours and pass the final test will be awarded  certificates and registered for obtaining occupational projects accredited by the PMI.