Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that public transport modes — including Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, public buses, and marine transport — along with taxis and shared mobility options such as app-based vehicles, hourly rentals, and on-demand buses, served approximately 395.3 million riders in the first half of 2025.
This represents a 9% increase compared to around 361.2 million riders during the same period in 2024. Average daily ridership reached nearly 2.18 million, up from approximately 1.98 million in the first half of 2024.
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Board of Executive Directors Chairman of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), stated: “The increasing ridership in public transport demonstrates the level of confidence that the public places in the efficiency of the system as well as the quality of services offered by all modes. We continue to strive to provide safe, comfortable, and sustainable mobility solutions for all segments of society.”
He added: “Dubai’s public transport network has undergone a major transformation, driven by advanced infrastructure and a diverse range of transit options that now form the backbone of mobility for residents and visitors across the emirate. As a result, the share of journeys using public transport and shared mobility has increased from 6% in 2006 to 21.6% in 2024.”
We are progressing with a clear vision to make public transport the preferred mode of daily commuting by intelligently expanding transport networks and lines, improving connectivity between key destinations and stations, and providing flexible, inclusive mobility options,” Al Tayer unveiled.
“Construction of Dubai Metro Blue Line is ongoing. Stretching 30 kilometres in length and including 14 stations, the line will connect nine major districts that have a combined estimated population of one million residents, aligned with Dubai 2040 Urban Plan.”
Al Tayer added: “Previous to that, RTA inked four contracts to buy 637 multi-size buses meeting the European low-emission standard ‘Euro 6,’ comprising 40 electric buses — the largest and first in the UAE. The buses are to be delivered in 2025 and 2026 and will fuel the expansion of the public bus network geographically across the emirate.”. They also concur with our strategic goal to electrify and hydrogenize the whole public bus fleet by 2050. During this month, we finished building 16 bus passenger stations and six depots as part of improving the quality of services offered to all clients.
Al Tayer clarified that Dubai Metro and taxis had the largest proportion of riders in the first half of this year, at 36.5% for the Metro and 26% for taxis, while public buses contributed 24%.
He added that May had the highest monthly ridership at 68.8 million, with other months’ figures ranging between 61 and 68 million.
There was a 9% growth in ridership in the first half of this year from the same period in 2024, one of the most important indicators of recovery in economic activity in the emirate of Dubai, as well as the success of the RTA’s strategies and initiatives to stimulate residents and visitors to take public transport, and to provide various mobility options in all areas of the city,” he added.
“Dubai public transport network, with all its elements working in perfect harmony, is the mobility backbone of the emirate. It has been able to create a healthy change in the perception of the public towards mass transit among all sections of society,” he further stated.
Metro Stations
The ridership of Dubai Metro passengers on both Red and Green Lines totaled about 143.9 million riders between the beginning and middle of 2025.
BurJuman and Al Rigga stations had the largest number of passengers, with BurJuman Station, which serves both Red and Green Lines, having 8.6 million riders followed by Al Rigga Station with 6.8 million.
Union Station (serving both lines) followed with 6.6 million passengers. On the Red Line, Mall of the Emirates Station led for ridership after Al Rigga with 5.6 million passengers, followed by Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Station with 5.4 million, and Business Bay Station with 5.3 million.
On the Green Line, Sharaf DG Station had the largest ridership at 5.1 million followed by Baniyas with 4.1 million, and Stadium with about 3.6 million.
Dubai Tram carried 4.9 million passengers in the first half of this year, while 95.7 million passengers were transported in public buses. The combined number of users of all marine modes hit 9.7 million.
Shared mobility services, such as app-based cars, hourly car rentals, and on-demand buses, carried 37.6 million passengers. Taxis in Dubai meanwhile carried 103.5 million passengers in the first half of the year.
Integrated Network
The strategic and operational strategy of RTA is based on the concept of integration at all levels of public transport and shared mobility so as to facilitate free movement and efficiency within the emirate.
These include road and public transport network development and expansion in all its forms, such as the metro, tram, buses, marine transport, first and last-mile solutions, and shared mobility, and also pedestrian and cycling infrastructure enhancement and integration between them.
They also entail the development of intelligent traffic and transport systems to maximize the efficiency and use of roads and public transport, as well as the enactment of policies that persuade the public to desist from depending on private cars and adopt alternative modes of transportation, such as public and shared mobility.
They are intended to further enhance the position of public transport in the broader mobility system and contribute to the Authority’s strategic goals to increase the proportion of trips taken on public transport and shared mobility to 25% by 2030.
