Average daily ridership reaches 1.9 million
Al Tayer:
- We are advancing a strategic vision that positions public transport as the first choice for daily mobility among residents and visitors, while cementing Dubai’s standing as a global model for sustainable mobility.
- The development of Dubai’s public transport and shared mobility ecosystem increased the share of trips made through these modes from 6% in 2006 to 22.3% in 2025, reflecting the continued shift towards more sustainable and efficient mobility patterns.
- 64% of total ridership was accounted for by Dubai Metro and public buses.
Dubai. Roads and Transport Authority. 2nd August 2026:Dubai’s 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.
Photo Captions:
- Mattar Al Tayer.
- Infographic showing public transport ridership in Dubai.
- Dubai Metro is the backbone of the public transport network.
- Integration between Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram services.
- Public buses.
- A diverse marine transport network.
- Abra remains the preferred choice for travelling between the two banks of Dubai Creek.
- Continued growth in taxi ridership.
