Gulf congress focuses on infrastructure challenges

The Kingdom of Bahrain will host the 3rd IRF Middle East Regional Congress & Exhibition which runs January 9-11, 2012.

The three core components of this major regional event have been designed to provide delegates with an in-depth understanding of the region’s critical infrastructure challenges and hands-on techniques to deal with common engineering questions. Panel discussions will consist of plenary, executive and technical sessions in the areas of road safety, intelligent transport systems, sustainable transport, pavements asset management, and tunnel construction. An exhibition showcasing innovation at work in the Gulf region will also run throughout the event and feature 2462 IRF’s Innovation Forum, a platform where the latest technologies are discussed. Finally, delegates interested in enhancing their professional credentials will have access to a range of IRF-certified training courses tailored to the needs of the Gulf and larger Middle East region.

The Congress & Exhibition will be formally opened by Their Excellencies Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf, Minister of Works, Kingdom of Bahrain and Abdullah A. Al-Mogbel, Deputy Minister for Transport, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and IRF Washington Chairman of the Board. Congress panellists include distinguished representatives from civil society, academia and industry with confirmed senior-level representation from World Road Association-3141 PIARC, 3271 Iowa State University, 184 Colas, 1397 AECOM, 2698 Delcan and 4031 ConSysTec among many others.

Established in 2009, IRF’s signature event in the region has already achieved recognition as the preeminent meeting point for road professionals in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets. The Congress & Exhibition stands out in its dual objective of achieving a better understanding of the Gulf region’s specific infrastructure needs and promoting the development of innovative solutions. As a case in point, the Kingdom of Bahrain, long a regional trade hub, is undergoing fast economic growth, anchored on a solid foundation of ongoing infrastructure projects, perhaps best illustrated by the US$4 billion Bahrain-Qatar Friendship Causeway. The Kingdom’s superior transport infrastructure and business-friendly environment have been instrumental in securing the presence of regional bridgeheads for some of the world’s largest logistic carriers.

As a broader regional event strongly committed to long term capacity building, the Congress also provides a forum to discuss and showcase major projects and accomplishments in the Gulf region. The 2nd edition held last year in the United Arab Emirates’ capital city was attended by over 350 delegates with senior-level participation from the municipality and 2309 Highways Agency. The meeting notably led to a set of key messages on sustainable transport with broader application to the Gulf region.