Speakers and experts at tomorrow’s Fleet and Mobility Summit looked at how the fleet and transportation sectors can help the region achieve its Net Zero ambitions.
The Fleet and Mobility Summit took place at a time when achieving Net-Zero has become a major priority for the region’s governments and municipalities.
Completing the Fleet and Mobility Summit event, the How can we help the region to achieve its Net-Zero ambitions? session brought together an expert panel of speakers and industry representatives to look at the ways in which they can contribute to making countries and cities greener places to live in, while ensuring that the region maintains the extraordinary growth it has enjoyed over the past half century.
While the panel agreed that the fleet and mobility sectors must tap into the range of green options available, Jonathan Spear Policy and Strategy Advisor, Transportation at Atkins Security put the challenge facing the mobility sector into context by warning the audience that meeting Net Zero by 2050 will require a 45% reduction on present emissions by 2030.
Gary Hubbard, CCO, Neutral Fuels said that switching to biofuels could be one solution with an immediate impact for fleets in the market, citing his firm’s work with McDonalds as an example of a successful switch to a greener fleet.
The fleet sector will continue to be a vital contributor to trade and the economy, even as it undergoes a period of disruption.
Following Al Masaood Automobile’s CEO Irfan Tansel call for seizing the opportunities of mobility in the market during his keynote address, sessions addressed the viability of electric vehicles and other alternatives in the market, as well as how digitalisation and the use of data could make fleet and automotive businesses greener, safer and more profitable.
ekar’s Dheeraj Satta discussed new forms of mobility saying: “Journeys in the future will become more integrated, intelligent and connected”.
Alaa El-Huni, Head of Partnerships & Expansion at on-demand fuel and services leader CAFU shared insight into the tech company that is pioneering in the field of mobility. CAFU uses sophisticated algorithms to service its clients, including ekar’s own fleet of cars.
“We are able to know when an ekar vehicle needs fuel and through connectivity we are able to place that order. This is just a small example of how through intelligence and leveraging data and telematics information we can better services.”
Artificial intelligence and machine learning is beginning to find practical applications in the market, and delegates were able to experience AV Living Lab, Continental and Location Solutions’ AI Driving Hub, which uses artificial intelligence to assess psycho-physiological characteristics of the drivers using biometric and sensor data, a digital twin, patented motion platform and customisable road scenarios. As a result, a fleet operator receives a detailed driver behaviour background check with 19 categories.
During a packed day, Anton Bawab of The Red Sea Development Company discussed the challenges of delivering fully sustainable mobility at the prestigious Red Sea Project; including issuing a clarion call to OEMs in the automotive industry to partner with the mega-development and provide the vehicles and solutions it needs.
Meanwhile, CRTKL’s Paul Firth gave delegates insight into how the retail sector is adapting to changing consumer demand and why we have seen a growth in last mile deliveries in the market.
“Like other parts of the world, the region is asking the question: What will it take to get from point to net zero?” Said head of content Stephen White. “Other regions have fallen back on governments to incentivise and push the private sector. We have the opportunity to make rapid progress here, if we make the right decisions now, but this requires full engagement with all stakeholders. This was one of the first chances to get that discussion moving in the market.”
