Tired of traffic? Us too
There’s so much to love about living in Dubai – endless things to do, amazing live concerts and the best food in the world – but what we can all agree on is that we lose a lot of time every year just from being stuck in traffic.
Thankfully, city planners agree, and there are some exciting megaprojects on the way that look set to change traffic as we know it.
And while there are loads of interesting solutions to the notorious Dubai Traffic in the pipeline, we’ve highlighted four of the most exciting ones that have been announced so far in 2026.
From an underground tunnel to driverless cabs, there are all sorts of exciting outside-the-box projects coming soon to the UAE.
1) Driverless taxis
The highly anticipated project to bring driverless taxis to Dubai has now officially launched.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation, has directed the launch of AI-powered autonomous taxis in the city.
Set to arrive in March 2026, there will be 100 driverless cabs hitting the road in the emirate. These taxis will be enabled by AI, advanced sensing technologies and autonomous decision-making systems.
Sheikh Hamdan took a ride in an RT6 Baidu Apollo driverless cab during the World Governments Summit and said: “The future of mobility in Dubai will be smarter, safer, more efficient, and more inclusive. We are turning vision into reality, building sustainable transport that improves quality of life for everyone.”
2) Dubai Loop
The Dubai Loop, developed by Elon Musk’s Boring Company, will feature underground tunnels and is projected to have a capacity for up to 30,000 passengers per day.
And the first locations of the Dhs2.5 billion project have now been revealed by Mattar Al Tayer, Director General of the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai.
The first phase of the project will soon get underway with the construction of a 6.4km pilot route. A video released by the RTA shows that there will be stations at Zabeel Dubai Mall Parking, ICD Brookfield Place, DIFC 2 and Burj Khalifa.
This initial phase will then pave the way for expansion into the full project which will extend up to 22.2km and include 19 stations, connecting the Dubai World Trade Centre, the financial district and Business Bay.
First announced in 2025, Elon Musk will collaborate with the Dubai Government and the RTA to develop the “Dubai Loop” in the city’s most densely populated areas.
It will also feature direct travel to the destination station with no stops and be capable of reaching speeds of up to 160km/h.
The pilot route is expected to serve around 13,000 passengers per day, while the full route is projected to have a total capacity of approximately 30,000 passengers per day.
3) Glydways
Glydways will be a network of small, self-driving electric vehicles operating on narrow, dedicated tracks to avoid traffic.
The RTA says that the Glydways system will be capable of transporting more than 10,000 people per hour in each direction at speeds of up to 50km/h.
Each driverless pod will have a capacity for between four and six passengers and will have a range of 250km.
The system will be able to operate independently of road traffic and run on compact, narrow guideways, using lightweight guiding structures that can be elevated or deployed at ground level.
The project will be in four locations across Dubai and could be implemented by the end of 2026. Plans intend to bring a 2.8km route running between the National Paints Metro Station and Bluewaters.
It is also set to be introduced to Madinat Jumeirah, Alserkal Avenue, Times Square Centre and Dubai Festival City.
4) 20-minute city
First announced back in 2023, the RTA’s 20-Minute City plan has now been given the seal of approval from Sheikh Hamdan under the Dubai 10X Initiative.
Aiming to place Dubai 10 years ahead of other cities around the world, the new 20-minute model is set to change how you access all necessary services.
The concept is aimed at reducing reliance on cars in Dubai by ensuring residents have access to 80 percent of all essential services and amenities within 20 minutes of walking, cycling and sustainable transport.
Implementation of this one is already underway in Al Barsha 2. Another example of the 20-Minute City concept is the Walk Master Plan.
