Óscar Puente expresses the interest of Spanish companies in taking part in the development of infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates

The Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, and the Minister for Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates, Al Mazrouei

The Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, has met in Abu Dhabi with the Minister for Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates, Al Mazrouei, to discuss the good relationship between the two countries and the important role that the transport and infrastructure sector plays in further strengthening ties.

During the meeting, the minister expressed the interest of Spanish companies in continuing to take part in the development of transport, logistics and mobility infrastructures in the region, pointing out the great opportunity these projects provide to strengthen collaboration between Spain and the United Arab Emirates.

The minister offered the extensive knowledge and experience of Spanish companies in the deployment of these projects, with emphasis on the railway sector, where Spain is an international industry leader. Spain notably has the second largest high-speed network in the world, connecting 70% of the population.

In this regard, the minister expressed special interest in the United Arab Emirates' commitment to the development of the railway as a key means of transporting people and goods. Yesterday, he met with Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail, which is leading the construction of the future high-speed line between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, a key project for territorial cohesion and decarbonisation of the region.

Spanish companies are also interested in contributing their expertise in the development of road, port and airport infrastructures, including for the Al Maktoum International Airport project in the Dubai World Central area, which once completed will have a capacity for 160 million passengers, double that of the current Dubai International Airport, thereby making it one of the largest in the world.

This afternoon, the minister will take part in a reception with representatives of Spanish companies present in the country and taking part in the fair, including Mafex, Sener, Renfe, Ineco, Indra, Talgo, Caf and Danovant.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, Óscar Puente will visit the transport and railway infrastructure fair being held these days in the emirate, Global Rail Transport Infrastructure Exhibition and Conferences (GRTIEC). The minister will take part in the opening ceremony, after which he will tour the different pavilions where companies from all over the world will be exhibiting the latest innovations in railway technology, multimodality and digital mobility.

The global rail fair

The Global Rail Transport Infrastructure Exhibition and Conferences is being held from 8 to 10 October in Abu Dhabi to address the various challenges facing the sector, including its digitalisation, competitiveness and governance, among others.

Organised under the patronage of His Majesty Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, in collaboration with the Ministry for Energy and Infrastructure, the fair brings together more than 1,000 delegates, 300 exhibitors from 40 countries and 15,000 decision-makers, including political leaders and industry specialists.

Non official translation