Emirates Transport (ET), the largest school transport provider in the UAE, lauded its partnership with Swaidan Trading and Ashok Leyland at a key handover ceremony celebrating a purchase deal for 814 new school buses. 

The event was held at Meydan Hotel, Dubai, ahead of the final delivery of the order for the Ashok Leyland buses by Swaidan Trading, the commercial vehicle and heavy equipment division of Al Naboodah Group Enterprises.

The ceremony was attended by Mr Swaidan Saeed Juma Al Naboodah, Managing Director of Al Naboodah Group, Mr Dheeraj Hinduja, Executive Chairman of Ashok Leyland, Khaled Al-Mansoor, ET’s Managing Director and Faryal Tawakul, Acting CEO of ET.

Nearly 700 buses have so far been delivered, with 490 already incorporated into the school transport fleet, with delivery of the final batch of the order due by the end of September, according to Khaled Al-Mansoor, ET’s Managing Director.

Al-Mansoor reiterated the value added by such partnerships, not only to the company’s school transport operations but to the UAE’s overall education system as well.

He said: “Monday marked the first day of the new academic year, with all the excitement, hard work and dedication that goes on behind the scenes to make the school transport process the safe and modern service that we can all be proud of here in the UAE.

“It is a huge logistical achievement that we are proud of at Emirates Transport; one that we are determined to safeguard and develop further to maintain our position as the UAE’s market leader, a position we held since the company’s inception more than four decades ago,” he added.

Faryal Tawakul, Acting CEO of ET, highlighted the value and importance of the partnership between the three companies that goes back many years and the significance of the deal to the local economy.   

She said: “All 814 buses are made in UAE and Emirates Transport is proud to promote such relationships which contribute to the “Make it in the Emirates” initiative, and the Economy of UAE in general.

“This deal is just the latest in the long and successful partnership history between Emirates Transport, Swaidan Trading and Ashok Leyland, a strategic partnership that has helped ET deliver the highest standards in school transport services over the years,” added Tawakul.   Tawakul confirmed that all the new school transport buses comply fully with the local regulations and follow the highest international standards in safety and comfort, stating that – before they are integrated into the school transport fleet – the new buses are fitted with the latest technologies and systems to ensure the safety of all transported students.