Dubai residents spend more than 9% of their income on transportation

The Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, Mattar Al Tayer, revealed that the proportion of Dubai residents’ spending on transportation is more than 9% of total income, stressing that Dubai is not content with keeping pace with global mobility transformations, but rather contributes to shaping these transformations by adopting smart and advanced solutions, based on early forecasting of the features of the future, and transforming the emirate into a global laboratory for developing future mobility systems.
During his opening speech at the Future of Mobility Forum within the activities of the World Government Summit, he said that the world is witnessing a radical transformation in the concept of mobility, which is no longer limited to moving from one place to another, but has become a major element in the quality of urban life and the growth of economies.
He added that more than half of the world’s population lives today in cities, and the percentage is expected to rise to nearly 70% by 2050, which imposes increasing challenges on modern cities to find innovative and sustainable solutions in the transportation sector.
He explained that the way people and goods move is changing due to technology, sustainability and innovation, noting that traditional transportation models are witnessing unprecedented transformations.
He stressed that this transformation is not a coincidence, but rather the result of rapid technological progress and a global trend driven by the challenges of climate change towards zero-emission transportation systems, pointing out that artificial intelligence is now playing a pivotal role in improving traffic management, raising the efficiency of infrastructure, and enhancing road safety levels.
Al Tayer pointed out that many cities around the world are responding to these transformations by setting ambitious climate goals, testing autonomous driving technologies, and redesigning urban transportation systems, stressing that Dubai is not only keeping pace with the future, but leading it.
He explained that the emirate, under the directives of its wise leadership, has established its position as a living laboratory for future mobility experiments. Dubai is also preparing for a new phase that includes an expansion of self-driving vehicles and the adoption of clean energy in operating taxis and buses, in addition to supporting walking, cycling and light transportation, within the concept of the “20-minute city.”
Al Tayer stressed the importance of integration between infrastructure, technology and legislation, in order to enhance safety and confidence in future mobility systems, stressing that global cooperation between governments, the private sector and research institutions is necessary to set strong standards that ensure that innovations serve humans first.
He stressed that the future of mobility is not expected, but rather created, calling for strengthening partnerships, exchanging experiences, and joint work to create a more efficient and sustainable transportation system.