Abu Dhabi [UAE], April 25 (ANI/WAM): Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) reported a 20 per cent participation increase in the 13th Dubai Award for Sustainable Transport (DAST), with 168 entries registered.

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council, the upcoming event saw a significant uptick in entries compared to the 12th edition in 2022.

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Participants also include a wide range of governmental, semi-governmental, and private entities from the UAE and the broader Middle East and North Africa region.

The substantial number of entries for DAST underscores the growing local and regional standing of the award, which is viewed as a practical manifestation of RTA's vision as The World Leader in Seamless and Sustainable Mobility.

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The award also aims to keep pace with Dubai's holistic sustainable development across key sectors including commerce, economy, tourism, and real estate.

Muna AL Osaimi, Secretary General of Dubai Award for Sustainable Transport (DAST), commented on the entries saying, "The initial screening of entries reveal a wide range of applications from various regional sectors, particularly from academic and business communities. This underscores the growing keenness to anticipate the future of sustainable mobility, and to develop initiatives and ideas that positively impact and preserve the environment.

"We are set to complement the sorting process, where entries will be classified as per the award categories namely: Initiatives, Research and Development, and Special Recognition. A jury consisting of 10 external experts will conduct a rigorous evaluation to uphold the highest standards of transparency and neutrality in the judging process. The winners of all categories will be revealed in June 2024."

The jury has set several criteria for evaluating the submissions. The evaluation of the Outstanding Sustainable Transport category will be based on governance, planning strategies, methodologies, implementation process, and achieved results.

"The Initiatives category is assessed across four main criteria: excellence & leadership, implementation & development, results & inclusiveness, and innovation & knowledge transfer.

"In the Research and Development category, the assessment focuses on the topic of the research or project as well as the methodology, design, and results.

"In the Special Recognition category, the criteria include contributions to promoting community awareness of sustainability, advancing the achievement of sustainable development objectives, participating in relevant events and workshops, and the extent of contribution to achieving RTA's strategic goals and objectives," concluded Al-Osaimi. (ANI/WAM)

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