The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of the Arabian Emirate of Dubai has ordered nearly 400 NEOPLAN city buses, to be delivered mostly in 2008. The value of the order is put in the triple-digit million region. The order was won for the NEOMAN Bus Group by Dubai-based by the local importer United Motors & Heavy Equipment Co. and marks a milestone in the international growth strategy of the MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group.

The chairman of RTA management, His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, presented the plans on April 4, 2007 in Dubai together with the head of the Managing Board of NEOMAN Bus, Joachim Dürr, and Martin Scharrer, member of the Managing Board for Sales and Marketing. "This is an important order for the company, a significant contribution to our growth objective of selling ten thousand buses annually by 2010. We're especially proud of the fact that RTA opted for the NEOPLAN brand, which has a very good reputation here in Dubai", remarked Dürr during the announcement of the purchase. NEOPLAN has built this reputation over the past 30 years by supplying airport buses to Dubai. The 21 units of the latest model are now part of the current 130-vehicle fleet at Dubai International Airport. Furthermore, RTA declares in a statement that the “uniquely attractive design” of the vehicles was one reason for the decision, “adding more splendour to Dubai’s streets”.

The buses to be delivered are all low-floor and with wheelchair ramps of the type NEOPLAN Centroliner with MAN D20 common-rail Euro 4 engines and MAN PUREdiesel technology, new to the desert nation as is the modern low-floor design with a kneeling function. 170 of the some 400 buses will be newly developed Centroliner DD double-deckers, which are about 4.3 meters high and consequently offer much appreciated headroom on the upper deck too (seating for 49 upstairs and 28 downstairs). The vehicles will all be built at the German NEOPLAN works in Plauen and Pilsting. The order also includes 150 Centroliner GL articulated buses with a length of 18.75 meters and seating for 48 persons. NEOMAN is the only producer offering this maximum-length articulated bus. The order is completed by 75 Centroliner solo buses with seating for 34 persons. The works in Poland and Salzgitter are a proven combination in producing these low-floor single-deckers.

The vehicles are much better equipped than the equivalents in Central Europe, featuring an especially powerful, tropicalized air-conditioning system for instance. Added to this, there is extra insulation in the engine compartment and underfloor, an additional radiator above the standard one for improved engine cooling, a fire extinguisher system in the engine compartment, plus air curtains at the doors, similar to these in modern shopping malls. Another speciality is the front compartments for women and children, separated off by glass walls and occupying the first three rows of seats, and also with a different interior design to the rest of a bus. The vehicles offer IBIS-capable LCD or LED route information displays and are ready for wireless and WLAN. Extra LCD screens in the interior feature information about the bus line and advertising.

The order is part of the complete restructuring of Dubai's Public Transport system with its 2.6 million inhabitants, and also aims at longterm service cooperation with the producer. The bus fleet is to be doubled within five years (to 1200 buses in 2008 and 1900 by the end of 2009), expanding the public transport network by some 30%. This will also involve building ultra-modern bus depots, capable of handling as many as 250 buses.

MAN Middle East FZCO, established by MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG and MAN Ferrostaal in Dubai in 2006, will serve 15 countries as a regional hub for commercial vehicles and additionally promote industrial plant business. A doubling of turnover is envisaged for the near future. In June 2007 the company will move into new quarters in a modern building complex, the “MAN House of Dubai”.