Dubai’s public transport, shared mobility and taxi networks carried more than 802 million passengers in 2025, marking a strong year of growth and underscoring a structural shift in how residents and visitors move across the city.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority said total ridership reached 802.1 million last year, up from 747.1 million in 2024, representing a 7.4 percent increase. Average daily ridership rose to 2.2 million, compared with 2 million the previous year.
The figure includes users of Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, public buses and marine transport, as well as shared mobility services such as app-based vehicles, hourly rentals, on-demand buses and taxis operated by Dubai Taxi Corporation and franchise companies.
Total trips across public transport, shared mobility and taxis reached 167.3 million, including 120 million taxi trips and more than 41 million shared mobility trips. October and November recorded the highest trip volumes at 15.1 million each.
October also marked the peak month for passenger volumes, with 72.8 million riders, followed closely by November with 72.6 million and December with 71.4 million. Passenger numbers during other months ranged between 61 million and 69 million.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said the sustained growth reflects a fundamental shift in mobility patterns across the emirate, driven by long-term investment in infrastructure, smart technologies and integration between transport modes.
He noted that public transport has become a central pillar of Dubai’s sustainable urban planning and a key enabler of economic growth, supported by high operational efficiency and seamless connectivity between metro, tram, buses, marine transport and shared mobility services.
RTA plans to expand dedicated lanes for buses and taxis during 2025 and 2026, introducing six new corridors spanning 13 kilometres and bringing the total length of such lanes to 20 kilometres. The authority expects the initiative to increase ridership by 10 percent, improve bus punctuality by 42 percent and reduce journey times by 41 percent.
The authority is also studying a trackless tram project across eight locations in Dubai. The proposed system would be autonomous, electric-powered and guided by virtual tracks, offering lower costs and faster implementation compared with conventional tram systems.
Dubai Metro accounted for the largest share of users at 37 percent, followed by taxis at 26 percent and public buses at 25 percent. Shared mobility services increased their share to 9 percent, up from 7.5 percent in 2024 and 6.2 percent in 2023. Marine transport and Dubai Tram maintained stable shares of 2 percent and 1 percent respectively.
Dubai Metro recorded 294.7 million riders across its Red and Green lines in 2025, a 7 percent year-on-year increase. BurJuman and Al Rigga stations registered the highest overall passenger volumes, while Union, Mall of the Emirates and Burj Khalifa Dubai Mall stations led ridership on the Red Line. On the Green Line, Sharaf DG, Baniyas Square and Stadium stations recorded the highest usage.
Public buses carried 197.2 million riders, up 5 percent, while marine transport served 18.4 million passengers and Dubai Tram transported 9.9 million, both posting 5 percent or lower single-digit growth. Shared mobility services carried 72.9 million riders, recording a 30 percent surge.
Taxis transported 209 million riders in 2025, a 4 percent increase, while premium limousine services, tracked separately from public transport totals, carried 23.6 million passengers, up 22 percent year-on-year.
RTA said the continued rise in passenger numbers reflects ongoing system development, improved service reliability and closer alignment between transport supply and demand, particularly during peak periods, reinforcing the network’s role in meeting Dubai’s evolving mobility needs.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
