British Prime Minister David Cameron climbed aboard the Dubai Metro on Monday morning when he visited the UAE, and he used the trip to highlight the excellent track record of UK-based firms such as Atkins in supporting the UAE’s critical infrastructure needs.

Atkins was lead designer for the metro, which was the first major state-of-the-art public transportation system in Middle East when its first phase became operational on 9 September 2009. More than 1,000 Atkins engineers and architects worked on the project, the success of which has paved the way for metro and rail systems throughout the region.

David Cameron is on a tour of the Gulf, where he is helping to promote British business interests. He rode four stops on the metro with representatives of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, travelling from Business Bay to Dubai World Trade Centre, where he lent his support to British construction sector businesses at the Middle East’s largest construction conference, The Big Five.

David Cameron met with HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE and was holding talks with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Prime Minister of the UAE, HH General Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.