HOW RTA DROVE DUBAI STRAIGHT INTO FUTURE

From Metro to flying taxi, the Roads and Transport Authority isn't just moving people - it's moving the emirate forward

- BY ASHFAQ AHMED | Managing Editor

When the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) was created in 2005, Dubai was entering a critical stage in its evolution, a city of immense ambition, poised for global prominence but in need of infrastructure that could keep pace with its growth. The challenge was monumental: to build not just roads, but a movement; to create a transport system that would connect people, places, and possibilities in ways few cities had ever achieved.

Two decades later, the results are visible in every direction. From the sleek curves of the Dubai Metro to the precision of its digital toll systems and the efficiency of its traffic networks, the RTA's work has become synonymous with Dubai's success story.

The transformation of Dubai's transport landscape reflects a legacy of visionary leadership. Under the guidance of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the emirate set out not only to expand its physical infrastructure but to build a future-ready city that could compete on a global scale. The RTA became the execution engine for that vision.

At its helm, Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, has led from the front. Under his leadership, the RTA has combined innovation, efficiency, and fiscal prudence to deliver projects that are as smart as they are transformative.

Changing the culture of movement