Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has reported historic growth across its digital platforms, generating AED 5.3 billion ($1.44 billion) in revenue during 2025. This milestone represents a 20.6 percent increase compared to the previous year, underscoring the success of the authority’s aggressive digital transformation strategy and its alignment with broader regional smart infrastructure goals.
Executive Summary
- Record Financial Performance: Digital channels generated AED 5.3 billion in 2025, a 20.6 percent year-on-year increase.
- Massive Transaction Volume: Over 628 million transactions were processed across 105 digital services, yielding a 96 percent adoption rate.
- Top-Tier Digital Maturity: RTA achieved a Digital Maturity Index score of 94 percent, securing Level 5 status within the Government of Dubai.
- AI and Mobile Surge: Application usage grew by 40 percent, powered by the AI virtual assistant Mahboub and unified mobility platforms.
- GCC Cross-Border Impact: Dubai’s success provides a scalable blueprint for giga-projects driving smart cities across the Gulf Cooperation Council.
According to the official report, more than 628 million transactions were completed through RTA digital channels during the year, marking a 13 percent rise compared to 2024. The authority currently offers 105 digital services through six integrated channels, reflecting a decisive market shift toward automated public services.
High Adoption and Public Trust
The widespread deployment of seamless user interfaces has driven RTA’s digital channel adoption rate to an unprecedented 96 percent. Enterprise and consumer trust remain exceptionally high, with the authority recording an average customer happiness index of 98 percent. These metrics demonstrate robust public confidence in the reliability and security of Dubai’s state-backed civic tech ecosystem.
Transitioning to an AI-Powered Mobility Ecosystem
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, emphasized that the authority is moving past traditional digitization toward a fully integrated digital ecosystem powered by data analytics and artificial intelligence. The transformation utilizes emerging technologies to improve urban mobility, optimize public transport networks, and strengthen global competitiveness.
By expanding the use of machine learning across its operations, RTA enables proactive service delivery, smarter predictive decision-making, and highly personalized customer experiences that minimize operational friction.
Achieving Level 5 Digital Maturity
The authority achieved a Digital Maturity Index score of 94 percent in 2025, earning Level 5 status, which is the highest digital maturity level within the Government of Dubai. This performance positioned RTA among the top four government entities in digital transformation metrics.
Additionally, the authority achieved an 83 percent score in the Digital Customer Experience pillar, representing a 12 percent improvement over the previous year. It also secured a perfect digital accessibility score of 100 percent for People of Determination, complying with stringent international inclusion standards.
Surge in Mobile Commerce and Platform Scaling
Corporate and consumer engagement via smart applications grew substantially throughout 2025. Usage of RTA mobile applications exceeded 25 percent, representing a 40 percent year-on-year increase. To support this demand, RTA launched 18 new services through the RTA Dubai app, driving active users past the 1.2 million threshold.
Concurrently, the S’hail app introduced advanced features and integrated nol card services, cementing its role as Dubai’s unified mobility platform. These enhancements contributed to annual visits to RTA smart applications reaching 68 million, a 144 percent increase compared to 2024, while enquiry and journey-planning requests rose to 48 million.
Web Portals and AI Virtual Assistant Upgrades
RTA currently hosts 103 services through its main web portal, which processed over 11 million transactions during 2025 while maintaining a customer happiness rating of 96 percent. The portal rolled out an AI-powered search feature to simplify navigation and accelerate access to commercial transport permits, compliance contesting, and corporate licensing.
As part of Phase 3 of the Services 360 Plan, RTA enhanced its AI-powered virtual assistant, Mahboub, by upgrading 15 core interactive services, bringing its total portfolio to 32. This upgrade accelerated digital transactions and boosted targeted revenue collection by 8.1 percent compared to 2024.
Unified Government Integration and Global Recognition
As part of Dubai’s digital integration strategy, RTA expanded its cross-platform architecture with key municipal portals, including Dubai Now, Invest in Dubai, Visit Dubai, and Build in Dubai. The authority launched and enhanced 48 digital services during 2025 to streamline B2B workflows and commercial registration pathways.
This commitment to innovation received international acknowledgment at the Global Business Tech Awards. The RTA Dubai app won the Best Application of Tech under the Public Sector category, while the S’hail app received the Best Mobile Tech of the Year award.
The Saudi Perspective: Lessons for Vision 2030 Giga-Projects
The operational and financial success of Dubai RTA serves as a vital benchmark for Saudi Arabia as it accelerates its own smart mobility transformation under Vision 2030. The integration of AI, high digital adoption rates, and robust revenue generation offer clear tactical insights for entities like the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) and the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services.
As Saudi Arabia constructs next-generation urban centers like NEOM, The Line, and the New Murabba, implementing similar unified digital ecosystems will be critical. Emulating Dubai’s high-maturity model can assist Saudi municipal authorities in optimizing traffic management, deploying autonomous transit networks, and achieving seamless cross-agency integration. This ensures that the Kingdom’s massive infrastructure investments yield comparable digital efficiencies and commercial scale.
