Dubai’s public transport is booming as more and more people look to sustainable mobility
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has recorded a big increase in use of public transport in the first half of 2025 in comparison to 2024. Dubai’s public transport served approximately 395.3 million riders in the first half of 2025, which was a 9% increase on compared to around 361.2 million riders during the same period in 2024.
The modes of transport include 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. The average daily ridership reached 2.18 million in 2025.
Dubai Metro and taxis recorded the highest usage of ridership with 36.5% for the Metro and 26% for taxis. Public buses then made up 24%. The month of May registered the highest monthly traffic of passengers, reaching 68.8 million, while numbers for the other months ranged between 61 and 68 million.
The metro
Dubai Metro users across both the Red and Green Lines reached approximately 143.9 million riders during the first half of 2025. BurJuman station (serving both the Red and Green Lines) registered 8.6 million riders, followed by Al Rigga Station with 6.8 million. Union Station (also serving both lines) came next with 6.6 million riders.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority announces that public transport modes — including Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, public buses, and marine transport — along with taxis and shared mobility options, served approximately 395.3 million riders in the first half of 2025. This represents… pic.twitter.com/XVZvomg7H1
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) July 27, 2025
On the Red Line, Mall of the Emirates Station recorded the highest volume after Al Rigga, with 5.6 million riders, 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 ranked first with 5.1 million riders, followed by Baniyas Station with 4.1 million, and Stadium Station with approximately 3.6 million.
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The tram and others
Dubai Tram transported 4.9 million riders during the first half of this year, while public buses carried 95.7 million riders. The total number of users of all marine transport modes reached 9.7 million.
Shared mobility services, including app-based vehicles, hourly rentals, and on-demand buses, served 37.6 million riders. Meanwhile, taxi services in Dubai transported 103.5 million riders during the first half of the year.
Why choose public transport?
Several announcements have been made by the RTA in the recent past about updates to the public transport network. Some of the new transport systems being announced or introduced, in addition to a massive Blue Line expansion of the Metro network, include the Rail Bus, Bus-on-Demand, the Etihad Rail, Sky Pods, RTA-endorsed bus-pooling services and flying taxis.
The Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai (RTA) may also soon be introducing a new vehicle to the public transport network – the electric bus. A recent pilot operation launched by the authority involves a new electric bus on route F13, a feeder bus service between Al Quoz Bus Depot and the Dubai Mall Metro Bus Stop.
Images: Socials/Supplied
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