RATP Group reaffirms Gulf ambitions by signing special relationship agreement between Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) and RATP

During a recent Gulf visit, RATP Chairman and Chief Executive Pierre Mongin signed an agreement with His Excellency Mattar Al-Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority, concerning the special partnership relation that the two companies have decided to confirm in order to develop operations in the United Arab Emirates.

The partnership is intended to develop integrated transport networks (bus, tram and metro services) with high quality service in the United Arab Emirates. The Gulf is a strategic region with many transport projects scheduled for the years to come. RATP Group will support growth through its subsidiary Ratp Dev.

Ratp Dev already operates in a dozen countries on four continents, providing clear proof of its ability to adapt to every situation and to all cultures. To give just one example, in June 2010 Ratp Dev inaugurated the Gautrain in South Africa, the most modern and fastest train in Africa operated and maintained by Ratp Dev.

RTA sets a high standard in the Gulf with the world’s longest automatic metro line, an extensive bus network and a future tramline.

RTA decided to team up with the RATP firstly because it is an integrated company combining engineering, operations and maintenance, and secondly because of its expertise in automatic metro technologies (line 14, the Greater Paris project) and tramways (100 km around Paris by the end of 2012).

The RATP Group delegation also met representatives of the Abu Dhabi transport authorities who are finalising their Master Plan for Transport.

The delegation was also in Doha when the FIFA 2022 World Cup tournament was awarded to Qatar. The experience acquired by the RATP Group at the ’98 World Cup in France and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will also serve the ambitious project to develop transportation in Qatar.

RATP Group will field a strong representation at the 59^th UITP International Transport Congress in Dubai in April 2011. Pierre Mongin will be attending this major event for the transport sector and will be present in Dubai to emphasise his interest in the Gulf region.

Ratp Dev is a subsidiary of the RATP Group established in 2002 to develop the Group’s operations activities in France and internationally outside the RATP’s historic network in the greater Paris region. Turnover should exceed €270 million in 2010. RATP, which stands for the Autonomous Operator of Parisian Transport, is a state owned company in charge of the Paris metro lines and the majority of the transportation system in all of the Île-de-France region. Today, RATP is ranked the sixth actor in the collective transport worldwide.