DUBAI, 13th October, 2026 (WAM) — Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said Dubai, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and with the oversight of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, is steadily advancing efforts to redesign the future of mobility and build an integrated system operating across three dimensions: in the sky, at ground level and underground.
This approach is designed to enhance the emirate’s future readiness and reinforce its global leadership in seamless and sustainable mobility. Al Tayer revealed that RTA is studying an integrated underground transport system in Dubai to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services, create new opportunities for investment and prosperity, and enhance the efficiency and sustainability of mobility.
Speaking at a session titled “Shaping Dubai’s Mobility Future in Three Dimensions” as part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum, Al Tayer reviewed the evolution of Dubai’s roads and transport system, the emirate’s approach to anticipating shifts and taking strategic decisions at pivotal moments, and the role of technology and artificial intelligence in shaping the future of mobility. Senior officials and participants from the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development attended the session.
Al Tayer said: “At a forum bearing the name of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and bringing together the leaders of today and tomorrow, the most important question is: How do we stay ahead of the future rather than wait for it? This is what we learned from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who instilled in us the principle that the future does not begin when it arrives, but when we make the decision that precedes it.”
Al Tayer explained that Dubai is a city in constant motion. If its road network were laid end to end, it would stretch nearly halfway around the globe. More than six million people move around the emirate during the day, a figure expected to double by 2040. He noted that Dubai’s roads currently handle more than 11 million trips a day, equivalent to around 7,000 trips per minute.
He added: “Behind every trip is time from a person’s life. This is where our responsibility begins: keeping mobility flowing smoothly in a rapidly growing city and anticipating its needs before they become challenges.”
Al Tayer recalled the early stages of the comprehensive transformation of Dubai’s roads and transport system, saying: “Before 2005, Dubai was growing rapidly in every direction, but its roads and transport system was not keeping pace. This resulted in traffic congestion, access constraints, economic losses and road traffic fatalities.
“His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum did not see the situation as a crisis requiring a temporary solution. He saw a city that needed a mobility system capable of staying ahead of its growth. He tasked me with preparing a comprehensive study within two months. It was completed in half that time, and less than a month later, the Roads and Transport Authority was established with an unprecedented budget of AED 75 billion, approved by His Highness in a single meeting.”
Al Tayer said the unwavering support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum laid the foundation for a new phase that included the delivery of Dubai Metro, the development of a world-class road network, and the creation of an integrated transport system. He noted that projects delivered by RTA over the past two decades contributed AED 156 billion to Dubai’s GDP, while generating more than AED 319 billion in time and fuel savings.
He added: “This is exceptional leadership in action: a clear vision, decisive decisions and major transformations.”
Al Tayer said that designing the future of mobility in Dubai requires reframing the question from “How do we move?” to “Where can we move?” He explained that the emirate’s future mobility vision is built around three integrated dimensions.
The first is mobility at ground level. Dubai is moving towards expanding autonomous journeys through innovative modes of transport, with the goal of making one in every four trips autonomous by 2030. He noted that autonomous taxis have already travelled more than four million kilometres, approaching levels that took global cities many years to achieve.
The second dimension is the sky. Dubai began air taxi trials in 2016, when the concept was widely regarded as far-fetched. Today, it is becoming a reality, reflected in the launch of an urban test flight and the opening of Dubai’s first Air Taxi Station in 2026.
The third dimension is underground mobility. Al Tayer said this goes beyond building a better tunnel to asking what can be built beneath an entire city. RTA has explored this direction through the Dubai Loop and Dubai Metro Gold Line projects, while also examining advanced global technologies for making efficient and sustainable use of underground urban space.
He said: “The Dubai of the future will be a city that moves in three dimensions: journeys in the sky that cut travel times to a matter of minutes; smooth movement at ground level through flexible roads and wider green spaces for walking, social interaction and enhanced quality of life; and an innovative underground system that moves people, goods and services, redefining how space is used, creating new opportunities for investment and prosperity, and enabling more efficient and sustainable mobility.”
Al Tayer said the approach of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has established a clear principle: turning challenges and difficult circumstances into opportunities to make decisions that shape the future. Amid the exceptional geopolitical circumstances the region has faced since last March, Dubai launched the AED 34 billion Dubai Metro Gold Line project just one month later. His Highness directed that implementation begin immediately, affirming: “Our future projects will not stop; rather, they will gather pace.”
Al Tayer said: “During the global financial crisis in 2008, Dubai opened the Dubai Metro. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dubai Metro’s Route 2020 entered service. In 2026, Dubai announced the Dubai Metro Gold Line, the largest mobility project of the next phase. Circumstances may change, but Dubai’s direction remains constant: moving forward with confidence and making decisions at the most challenging moments, because the future is not something we wait for.”
Al Tayer explained that ambitious decisions require the tools, knowledge and leadership capabilities needed to turn them into achievements. He noted that readiness for the next phase depends not on projects alone, but also on developing leaders capable of harnessing technology and artificial intelligence to drive transformation.
Concluding the session, Al Tayer said: “Artificial intelligence has become a key partner and enabler of the future of mobility, and through the development of 100 AI products, we are set to unlock productive capacity equivalent to that of 500 employees.
The objective is not to replace talent, but to redirect the focus towards higher-value work, contributing to the development of infrastructure projects that generate significant returns for the city. Artificial intelligence also enables faster and more accurate decision-making, helps anticipate needs before they become challenges, and serves as a tool for redesigning the future of mobility in line with Dubai’s rapid growth.”
Source: Emirates News Agency