His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), revealed that the authority is studying the development of an integrated underground system for transporting goods and passengers. The initiative forms part of Dubai’s efforts to anticipate the future of mobility and develop innovative solutions that keep pace with the emirate’s rapid growth.
Speaking during a session titled “Dubai’s Mobility in Three Dimensions” at the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum, Al Tayer said the most important question leaders should ask is how to anticipate the future rather than wait for it. He described this as one of the key lessons learned from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
He said Dubai is a city in constant motion and that its extensive road network reflects the scale of growth and expansion taking place across the emirate. If laid end to end, he noted, the road network would stretch to a distance equal to half the circumference of the Earth.
Al Tayer said Dubai’s daytime population has reached around six million and is expected to double in the future, increasing the demand for mobility and expanding the responsibility of developing infrastructure and solutions capable of accommodating future growth.
He added that Dubai records around 11 million trips a day, averaging up to 7,000 trips per minute. Behind every journey, he said, is a human story, a destination and a need, making people the focal point of transport planning and reinforcing the importance of building an integrated mobility system that meets residents’ evolving needs.
He noted that before 2005 Dubai experienced rapid growth in most sectors, while road infrastructure struggled to keep pace, leading to lost time and productivity. However, he said, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s vision went beyond temporary solutions and focused on creating a comprehensive and sustainable transport system.
Al Tayer said Sheikh Mohammed tasked him with preparing a study to develop the roads and transport sector, giving him two months to complete it. The work was completed in half that time. In 2006, the RTA was established with a budget of Dh75 billion, and its plans were approved in a single session, marking the start of a new phase in Dubai’s transport development. He said the projects have since generated economic benefits estimated at Dh319 billion and financial returns of Dh156 billion.
Al Tayer said one of the lessons instilled by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid is that crises should not delay projects but can instead accelerate their implementation. He recalled that as the RTA was preparing to launch the Dh34 billion Dubai Metro project, he had concerns about the timing before receiving instructions to be ready for its launch within two days.
He said Sheikh Mohammed established an approach under which projects continue even during periods of crisis. This was demonstrated by the launch of the Dubai Metro during the global financial crisis in 2009, the continuation of Route 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and progress on the Golden Line in 2026 despite geopolitical challenges. While circumstances may change, he said, the commitment to building the future remains constant.
Al Tayer stressed that shaping the future requires leaders with the vision and ability to transform ideas into reality. He highlighted the authority’s plans to develop 100 artificial intelligence products, describing AI as a key driver of future mobility.
He said designing the future of mobility in Dubai goes beyond how people move to include where they can move. The emirate’s future transport system, he explained, is being developed across three dimensions, beginning with land-based mobility through the expansion of autonomous transport, with a goal of making one in four journeys self-driving by 2030.
The second dimension is air mobility through air taxis, with the first stations scheduled to open this year, creating new transportation opportunities across the emirate.
The third dimension is underground mobility, where an RTA team is studying an integrated system for transporting passengers and goods. He said the project would support transport efficiency, meet Dubai’s future requirements and further integrate different modes of transport within a single multi-dimensional network.