Thursday, 16 January, 2014

University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) students Ali Razzouk and Diana Hassanova have received certificates of appreciation from the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) for their recent smartphone innovative, MetroMate.The pair recently met with senior executives of the RTA, Mr Abdulla Yousef Alali, Acting CEO of the Rail Agency; Mr Abdulla Al Madan, CEO of the Corporate Technical Services Sector; Mrs Muna Al Osaimi, Deputy Director and Planning and Studies Manger; and Mr Salah Bader, Head of IT. They received praise and support for their efforts in developing the App - which provides a comprehensive and user-friendly guide to the Dubai Metro system, alongside a range of other handy features – and were presented with certificates of appreciation for their work towards assisting Metro travellers.Ali and Diana hit the headlines in late 2013 when they launched MetroMate, an App they developed based on their own experiences of using the Dubai Metro system. It is free to download and provides accurate train timings, last train alerts, and time to destination information for all operational stations on the Dubai Metro. It is available in both English and Arabic and also includes a smart station detection system to locate the station nearest to you, as well as a full map of the entire Metro network.The App works without an internet connection and all information can be accessed offline. It also has a unique Nol balance tracker, which allows users to keep up to date with their credit and receive notifications when it is running low. The interface is inspired by the Dubai Metro stations and the design blends seamlessly with that of the stations’ interior.Ali has a track-record of producing popular, user-friendly Apps, including an award winning social discussion forum, and he has more innovations in the pipeline. The pair hope that MetroMate will help to improve the user experience across the Metro system and ultimately increase Metro travel across Dubai.