Dubai’s RTA sets out five priorities to help improve transport infrastructure

Authority looks to the future on 20th anniversary

The Dubai Metro Blue Line is one of the emirate's flagship projects. Photo: Dubai Media Office

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority on Sunday set out its five priorities to help it continue improving the emirate’s infrastructure in the coming years.

These pillars are in place to attract talented people, invest in infrastructure designed to integrate advanced technology, promote autonomous transport modes, develop business models that foster economic opportunities and strengthen private sector partnerships, the RTA said.

It comes as the authority marks its 20th anniversary, with director general Mattar Al Tayer noting the Dh175 billion ($47.64 billion) that has been invested during those two decades.

This has created infrastructure including roads, metro lines, trams, cycling tracks and pedestrian paths. Dubai’s road network now spans more than 25,000km, supporting 3.5 million vehicles a day. The Dubai Metro and Tram cover more than 100km combined, while the number of bridges and tunnels increased from 26 in 2006 to 177 in 2024.

"We have built an integrated infrastructure of road networks and public transport systems that has strengthened Dubai’s global competitiveness and enhanced quality of life across the emirate," Mr Al Tayer said.

Public transport boost

Looking ahead, authorities are aiming to improve public transport. The Dubai Metro Blue Line is set to start operations in 2029 and will cover the expanding areas of Mirdif and Dubai Creek Harbour, with an underground interconnector station at International City to serve the Dragon Mart complex.

An Etihad Rail station is also expected at Jumeirah Golf Estates. The rail operator has said stations will be linked in some capacity to existing modes of public transport. A high-speed railway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai is also in the pipeline.

Authorities are upgrading the bus network and working on making Dubai a more liveable city by adding cycle paths and shaded areas. A plan to transform the emirate into a “year-round pedestrian-friendly city”, with more than 3,000km of new paths and 110 new bridges and tunnels, was announced in December.

Challenges ahead

It is particularly important as the emirate's population is on course to keep growing, with predictions suggesting Dubai will be home to 5.8 million people by 2040.

In August, Dubai’s population reached four million, representing a milestone in the expansion of a city that has become a byword for growth.

Many new schemes are under development, including the building of a second runway at Al Maktoum International Airport, with the first expansion phase set to be completed by 2032, by which time the airport’s annual capacity will gave reached 150 million passengers.

The Dh10 billion expansion of Dubai Exhibition Centre in the emirate's Expo City will create the largest indoor exhibition and conference centre in the region, so by 2033 Dubai will be able to host 600 events annually, twice as many as today.

These and other projects will play a part in the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to double the size of the economy between 2023 and 2033.