February 23, 2026
Methodology About Newsletter
WE THE UAE 2031
The Vanderbilt Terminal for the UAE's National Transformation
INDEPENDENT GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% | UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% |

Definition

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is the government agency of the Emirate of Dubai responsible for the comprehensive planning, construction, regulation, and operation of the emirate’s roads, public transport systems, and mobility services. Established by Law No. 17 of 2005 under the directive of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, RTA was created to consolidate transport functions previously spread across multiple government departments into a single integrated authority. RTA oversees the Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, public bus network, water transport (abras and water taxis), taxi regulation, ride-hailing licensing, road construction and maintenance, traffic engineering, parking management, the Salik toll system, vehicle and driver licensing, and maritime transport.

UAE Context

RTA is one of the most operationally complex government entities in the UAE, managing infrastructure that underpins Dubai’s daily economic activity and quality of life for over 3.5 million residents and millions of annual visitors. The authority is organised into six operational agencies and sectors: the Public Transport Agency (metro, tram, buses, water transport), the Traffic and Roads Agency (road construction, traffic management, intelligent transport systems), the Licensing Agency (vehicle registration, driver licensing, commercial vehicle permits), the Rail Agency (metro and future rail projects), the Dubai Taxi Corporation, and Corporate Support Services. RTA has delivered transformative infrastructure projects including the Dubai Metro (the first driverless metro in the Arabian Peninsula), the Dubai Tram, the Route 2020 metro extension to Expo City, the Dubai Water Canal road crossings, and hundreds of kilometres of highway upgrades. The authority also pioneered digital government services in the transport sector, with its RTA Dubai app providing integrated access to vehicle registration, licence renewal, Salik account management, Nol card top-up, taxi booking, trip planning, and fine payment.

Key Data

  • Established: 2005 (Law No. 17)
  • Headquarters: Dubai, UAE
  • Governance: Chaired by the Commissioner General for Infrastructure, Urban Planning and Well-Being
  • Key infrastructure: Dubai Metro (80+ km), Dubai Tram (10.6 km), 18,000+ lane-kilometres of roads
  • Public buses: Over 1,500 buses across 119+ routes
  • Salik toll system: Millions of daily transactions generating billions in annual revenue
  • Nol card: Integrated fare system across metro, tram, bus, and water transport
  • Dubai Taxi Corporation: Thousands of licensed taxis and limousines
  • Digital platform: RTA Dubai app with 5+ million users
  • Annual budget: Multi-billion dirham investment in infrastructure and operations

Significance for Vision 2031

RTA is the primary delivery agency for Dubai’s mobility and infrastructure targets under Vision 2031 and the D33 Agenda. The authority’s master transport plan envisions expanding the metro network with new Blue and Purple lines, increasing public transport mode share to 25 percent, deploying autonomous vehicle technology on dedicated corridors, and achieving integrated mobility-as-a-service across all transport modes. RTA’s investment in intelligent transport systems — including AI-powered traffic management, predictive maintenance, and real-time passenger information — positions Dubai at the forefront of global smart mobility. The authority’s regulatory framework for ride-hailing, e-scooters, and autonomous delivery vehicles ensures that emerging mobility technologies are safely integrated into the urban transport ecosystem. RTA’s vision of seamless, multimodal urban mobility is foundational to Dubai’s competitiveness for talent attraction, tourism growth, and economic diversification through 2031.

  • Dubai Metro — The automated urban rail system operated by RTA
  • Salik — Dubai’s electronic toll system managed by RTA
  • Nol Card — The integrated fare smart card issued by RTA
  • Dubai Tram — The light rail system under RTA authority