Dubai’s population has passed the four million mark – but with the roads often congested, how are authorities going to move all these people around?
Authorities are expanding the Metro through the Blue Line megaproject and upgrading the bus network, with the Etihad Rail project well under way. Taxis are popular, and bikes and e-scooters are common but the roads remain busy, with cars still the go-to option for many.
Experts have told The National that more high-density development, public transport connectivity, subsidised bus passes and, crucially, a shift in culture and mindset could help make the emirate less car-centric and ensure there are solid transport options for everyone.
It is particularly important as Dubai's population is on course to keep growing, with predictions suggesting it will be home to 5.8 million by 2040.
What needs to change?
Monica Menendez, professor of civil and urban engineering at New York University Abu Dhabi, said population growth is a challenge faced by many cities across the world and the solution is not building more roads but offering more options such as the Metro, ride-sharing and “micro-mobility” lightweight systems such as e-scooters.
But for people to use these, they must be competitive and “match or exceed the convenience, speed and comfort of private cars”.
“This kind of shift doesn’t happen overnight – it requires a cultural change,” she said. “But we’ve seen it succeed elsewhere. Many European and Asian cities have already made public transport the preferred choice for most residents.”
Prof Menendez cautioned, however, that there was no one-size-fits-all solution and it could encompass high-frequency service, dense networks, integrated payment systems, real-time information, safe, clean and comfortable vehicles, convenient transfer services and reliable operations.
“While this might seem ambitious, advances in information and technology over recent decades have made it increasingly achievable," she added.
Can 20-minute city help?
Planners in Dubai are also exploring the concept of the 20-minute city – which means most daily needs are within that timeframe without using a car.
But experts have cautioned that the emirate's sprawling residential developments and hot summer weather remain challenging.
“Investment is needed to mitigate this problem, such as shaded walkways and public spaces, otherwise proximity doesn’t translate into usability,” noted Paulo Anciaes, principal researcher in transport and health at University College London.
“Singapore, for example, has promoted walking by building air-conditioned walkways and sheltered bus stops to address the problem of hot weather.”
Mr Anciaes said short bus trips could be important to develop the 20-minute city but a deeply embedded car culture and a bus network that does not cover all areas mean “behavioural nudges” are needed to increase ridership, such as introducing subsidised bus passes.
He referred to Phoenix in the US state of Arizona, where car dependency and the hot climate are issues.
"Besides improvements in bus stops, there were also improvements in the digital infrastructure, with app-based real-time information that reduces the unreliability of taking a bus," he said of Phoenix's progress. "Also, some employers subsidise bus passes.”
Prof Menendez also endorsed the importance of mixed use developments to allow people to stay in the same area. “When people can live, work and shop within the same area, it becomes much easier to walk, bike, or take public transport instead of driving,” she said.
“This kind of urban design supports a more sustainable, liveable and connected city.”
Dubai boosts public transport
Authorities in Dubai are improving public transport. The Dubai Metro Blue Line project is set to start operations in 2029 and will cover the expanding areas of Mirdif and Dubai Creek Harbour, with an underground interconnector station at International City to serve the Dragon Mart complex.
An Etihad Rail station is also expected around Jumeirah Golf Estates. The rail operator has said stations will be linked in some capacity to existing modes of public transport. A high-speed railway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai is also in the pipeline.
Authorities are upgrading the bus network and working on making Dubai a more liveable city by adding cycle paths and shaded areas. For example, a plan to transform the emirate into a “year-round pedestrian-friendly city”, with more than 3,000km of new paths and 110 new bridges and tunnels, was announced in December.
UAE-based transport expert Martin Tillman said each new resident adds demand for travel and no single mode of transport mode can provide the solution alone.
“The next part is the full integration across all modes including demand responsive services [that can be booked often without a fixed route or schedule], park and ride, and first and last-mile options that connect dense urban areas, new suburbs and key destinations like Dubai South and Expo City,” said Mr Tillman, founder of TMP Consult.
Ensuring road safety
Huge investment in public transport aside, the roads remain busy. Cities such as Singapore have introduced tolls to encourage more people to try public transport. Dubai introduced its Salik toll gate system in 2007 and charges increased this year.
As a 25-year Dubai veteran, road safety campaigner Thomas Edelmann said it was “amazing to see the constant growth of our city”.
“Reaching a population number of four million is a great achievement for the city but it comes with some concerns for its residents,” said Mr Edelmann, founder and managing director of Road Safety UAE. "One such concern is what's happening on our roads."
He highlighted a study commissioned this year by Road Safety UAE and Al Wathba Insurance that found 91 per cent of Dubai residents experience traffic congestion daily and almost half of the respondents (49 per cent) feel frustrated, annoyed, very stressed or anxious as a result.
He said the top four responses in the survey on how to cut congestion were to promote working from home, improve public rail offerings (Metro, train), expand the road network and improving the public bus service.
“The dependency on road transportation is extremely high,” Mr Edelmann said. “We need to find ways to reduce this dependency and, as a consequence, reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.”
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 6 Huddersfield Town 1
Man City: Agüero (25', 35', 75'), Jesus (31'), Silva (48'), Kongolo (84' og)
Huddersfield: Stankovic (43')
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.
THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
Zayed Sustainability Prize
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The%20Sandman
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EU Russia
The EU imports 90 per cent of the natural gas used to generate electricity, heat homes and supply industry, with Russia supplying almost 40 per cent of EU gas and a quarter of its oil.
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
WHAT ARE NFTs?
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are tokens that represent ownership of unique items. They allow the tokenisation of things such as art, collectibles and even real estate.
An NFT can have only one official owner at one time. And since they're minted and secured on the Ethereum blockchain, no one can modify the record of ownership, not even copy-paste it into a new one.
This means NFTs are not interchangeable and cannot be exchanged with other items. In contrast, fungible items, such as fiat currencies, can be exchanged because their value defines them rather than their unique properties.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
