The UITP Summit will position the emirate as a world leader in smart mobility, with RTA officials hinting at live demonstrations of autonomous and aerial vehicles.
Dubai is set to host a premier global transport event in 2026, where it will showcase its groundbreaking advancements in urban mobility, including flying taxis and driverless cars, to an international audience.
Scheduled for April 21-23 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) Global Public Transport Summit will convene under the theme of building a “sustainable, smart, and people-centred” transport future. The event solidifies Dubai’s reputation as a laboratory for next-generation transit solutions.
“Ambition is There” for Live Demos
When asked if delegates might arrive via self-driving or aerial taxis, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) remained coy about specific plans but confirmed its ambition to lead in this new era of mobility.
“The ambition is there, and we are going to have air taxi services soon,” said Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency and Chairman of the Summit organising committee. “We are still in discussions about how we are going to showcase these futuristic projects.”
Bahrozyan emphasized that these technologies are no longer science fiction. “These are no longer futuristic because we already have them now,” he stated. “What we are doing here is to take the lead, and by being leaders, we will learn along the way and pave the way for other cities.”
Carving the Path for Global Mobility
The summit is expected to be more than a showcase; it’s positioned as a working session to solve urban transport challenges. “Our aim is to carve the path for the future of mobility,” Bahrozyan explained. “The solutions cannot be the same solutions implemented 10 or 15 years ago. We are looking for innovative solutions not only for Dubai but for other cities in the world as well.”
Dubai’s journey to this point was highlighted by RTA Director General Mattar Al Tayer, who noted the share of public transport in the emirate’s mobility mix has skyrocketed from 6% in 2006 to 21.6% in 2024.
A Milestone for the Region
The 2026 summit marks a significant milestone, as it will be the first time the event in its new format is held outside Europe. UITP Secretary-General Mohamed Mezghani expressed anticipation for the event, noting Dubai’s “remarkable” evolution in urban mobility since it last hosted the summit in 2011.
The event will position Dubai not just as an adopter of technology, but as a global model setting the blueprint for the future of urban transport.
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