DUBAI, 22nd July, 2026 (WAM) — Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) won two international platinum awards at the 18th cycle of the Ideas Arabia International Award in recognition of its innovations in digital services for public buses.
The achievement reflects RTA’s success in leveraging big data and artificial intelligence to develop public bus services and enhance operational efficiency.
RTA won the platinum award in the Process Efficiency category for its project, “AI-Powered Data-Driven Intelligent Operational Efficiency Framework.” It also received another award in the Added Value to Product or Service category for its project, “Automation of Public Bus Service Alerts for Real-Time Passenger Information Dissemination.”
This achievement underscores RTA’s leadership in harnessing advanced technologies and artificial intelligence to develop the public transport ecosystem. It reflects RTA’s use of big data, advanced analytics and continuous machine learning technologies to improve the operational efficiency of public buses and enhance the quality of services delivered to customers.
The winning projects delivered tangible operational results, including the re-engineering of operating schedules based on real-time operational data, and the development of smart operating procedures that reduce bus idling during waiting periods. These outcomes support environmental sustainability and contribute to lowering carbon emissions.
The projects also strengthened RTA’s position in operating AI-powered public transport systems by employing big data repositories, advanced analytics tools and machine learning technologies in the management and operation of buses, as well as in the automation of related processes. This has improved performance efficiency and enhanced responsiveness to operational changes.
RTA succeeded in reducing trip cancellation rates by 4% using AI-powered predictive models, reducing early bus departures by 68%, and maintaining performance levels in line with international best practices.
The smart solutions also contributed to faster operational response by enabling the immediate deployment of replacement buses in the event of any disruption to Metro services, while enhancing customer service through automated real-time alert systems.
This achievement confirms RTA’s success in harnessing data and artificial intelligence to develop advanced operational solutions that raise the efficiency, sustainability and reliability of the bus network. It also supports proactive decision-making and enhances customer service in line with international best practices. Artificial intelligence has today become a key pillar in the management and operation of bus services, enabling the prediction of operational challenges and rapid response to them, while ensuring more efficient and flexible services for hundreds of thousands of passengers every day.
The results of these initiatives have been reflected directly in the performance of the bus network and customer confidence in it. Public bus ridership increased to 197.2 million in 2025, recording growth of 4.9% compared with 2024, the highest level recorded in recent years. This confirms RTA’s success in translating innovation into tangible added value that supports quality of life and strengthens Dubai’s global standing in smart and sustainable transport.
Source: Emirates News Agency