Dubai , August 2, 2026 : Dubai.
Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that public
transport, shared mobility and taxis in Dubai carried around 348.1 million
riders during the first half of 2026, with average daily ridership of nearly
1.9 million.
The figure covers Dubai Metro and Tram, public buses and marine
transport, in addition to taxis and shared mobility services, including app-
based vehicles, hourly rentals and bus-on-demand service. Limousines
carried 5.7 million riders during the same period.
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board
of Executive Directors, Roads and Transport Authority, said the indicators
recorded in the first half of this year demonstrate the success of Dubai’s
vision to build a world-class integrated transport ecosystem founded on
sustainability, innovation and integration across different modes of
transport. This supports Dubai’s efforts to make public transport the first
choice for daily mobility among residents and visitors, while advancing the
emirate’s goals to enhance quality of life and consolidate its global
competitiveness.
He added: “This ecosystem is strengthening the confidence of residents
and visitors in public transport and embedding a culture of sustainable
mobility. It had increased the share of trips made by public transport and
shared mobility from 6% in 2006 to 22.3% in 2025, reflecting a continued
shift towards more sustainable and efficient mobility patterns. It also
confirms the success of RTA’s long-term policies and investments in
enhancing quality of life, strengthening Dubai’s competitiveness and
reinforcing its global leadership.”
Advancing Multimodal Integration
Al Tayer said: “RTA is advancing a strategic vision that positions public
transport as the most efficient and sustainable choice for daily mobility,
while cementing Dubai’s standing as a global model for sustainable
mobility. This is being achieved through the continued expansion of
infrastructure projects, improved service efficiency, and stronger
integration across different modes of transport.
“RTA is currently undertaking the Dubai Metro Blue Line project, spanning
30 kilometres and comprising 14 stations. The line will serve nine key
districts with an estimated population of around one million residents, in
line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan.
“Dubai Metro Gold Line project has also been approved. Extending 42
kilometres and comprising 18 stations, with an estimated cost of AED 34
billion, it will be Dubai’s first fully underground metro line, equivalent to
three times the length of the existing Dubai Metro tunnels. The Gold Line
will connect with the Red and Green Lines of Dubai Metro, as well as
Etihad Rail.
“RTA has also started the phased deployment of 637 new buses of
various sizes, all compliant with Euro 6 European low-emission standards.
The fleet includes 40 electric buses, marking the UAE’s largest and first-
of-its-kind deployment of electric buses. The new buses will expand public
transport coverage across the emirate and support the plan to convert
100% of public transport buses to electric and hydrogen-powered buses
by 2050.
“Looking ahead to the future of mobility, RTA began operating driverless
taxis at the start of this year and is preparing to launch commercial
operations of the Air Taxi by the end of the year, while continuing to
advance the Dubai Loop project.
“Dubai Metro accounted for the largest share of total ridership in the first
half of this year at 39.2%, followed by taxis at 25.5% and public buses at
24.4%. Together, these three modes accounted for around 89% of total
ridership. January recorded the highest ridership, with 73.4 million riders,
while monthly ridership during the other months ranged between 49
million and 66 million.”
Busiest Metro Stations
Dubai Metro, with its Red and Green Lines, carried around 136.5 million
riders during the first half of 2026. BurJuman and Union, the two
interchange stations serving both lines, topped the list of the busiest
stations, with 8.4 million riders at BurJuman Station and 6.5 million at
Union Station.
On the Red Line, Al Rigga Station recorded the highest ridership with 6.4
million riders, followed by Mall of the Emirates Station with 5.2 million, and
Business Bay Station with 5 million.
On the Green Line, Sharaf DG Station ranked first with 4.9 million riders,
followed by Baniyas Square Station with 3.8 million, and Stadium Station
with around 3.7 million.
Dubai Tram carried 3.8 million riders during the first half of this year, while
public buses carried 85.1 million riders. Marine transport services carried
8.1 million riders across all modes. Shared mobility services, comprising
app-based vehicles, hourly rentals and on-demand buses, carried 25.7
million riders, while taxis in Dubai carried 88.9 million riders during the first
half of the year.
An Integrated Mobility Ecosystem
RTA continues to implement its strategic plans through an integrated
ecosystem that strengthens connectivity between public transport and
shared mobility modes, ensuring seamless journeys and improving the
efficiency of Dubai’s transport network.
These plans include the development of roads, Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram,
public buses and marine transport networks, along with first-and last-mile
solutions, pedestrian and cycling networks, and intelligent traffic systems.
Together, these efforts optimise the use of infrastructure and improve
operational efficiency.
They also aim to further increase the contribution of public transport to
Dubai’s wider mobility ecosystem and raise the share of trips made by
public transport and shared mobility to 25% by 2030, in line with the Dubai
2040 Urban Master Plan and the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.
