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Dubai airport and mall trips topped ride-hailing journeys in 2025, report reveals
Zayed International and Dubai International Airports saw the most frequent rides, alongside busy shopping and leisure spots such as Yas Mall and Dubai Mall
- PUBLISHED: Sun 25 Jan 2026, 3:20 PM
- By:
- Nandini Sircar
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Trips to Dubai’s airports and major malls topped the list of ride-hailing journeys in 2025, according to a new report.
Yango Ride’s urban mobility data shows that in the UAE, travel patterns were driven by airport connections and the city’s most popular hotspots.
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Zayed International and Dubai International Airports saw the most frequent rides, alongside busy shopping and leisure spots such as Yas Mall and Dubai Mall.
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This highlights how ride-hailing has become a part of everyday city life — helping people get to work, shop, socialise, and move around the city.
Affordability over luxury
The report also reveals that, at the same time, customers across the MENA region overwhelmingly favoured economy car options over premium categories.
Mid-size sedans, particularly models like the Toyota Camry, emerged as the most frequently used vehicles, reflecting a preference for practical comfort, predictable pricing, and availability rather than luxury.
“I take a ride to the airport almost every week. It’s more than just convenient—it helps my day run smoothly, whether I’m meeting friends or heading to work. I opt for economy rides since I travel alone for business and don’t carry much luggage. They’re practical and affordable —reliability matters to me more than luxury,” said Hisham Bakry.
For parents, economy rides provide a practical solution during busy hours.
Shreya Rai said, “I usually book economy taxis for my child for his swimming classes because I’m at work and can’t drive him. Since it's peak office hours, economy is the most practical option, although prices in economy are also higher than usual at that hour. Sometimes, however, none are available and everything is booked out, and then I am compelled to book maybe a premium.”
Arrival times further reinforced this shift toward everyday dependability. In Abu Dhabi, average pick-up times stayed under six minutes, emphasising how on-demand mobility has evolved from an occasional convenience into a reliable, routine urban service.
AI-powered tools help navigate efficiently.
Meanwhile, the study also finds how the role of AI in daily routines is also expanding.
In Q4 2025, Yango Yasmina recorded significant growth in adoption and engagement in the UAE, with users interacting an average of 22 times per day, peaking at 44 interactions on busier days.
This suggests AI is becoming deeply integrated into everyday life rather than used sporadically.
Arabic emerged as the leading language on the platform, with 60 per cent of users interacting primarily in Arabic.
“AI helps draft a ride request. All you have to do is say, ‘Book a cab to downtown at 6 PM,’ and it can even suggest the best time or route… It compares prices across services, recommends the best pickup points, estimates total travel time, and even suggests rides based on your budget. Uber, Careem, Yango—they all do it,” said 22-year-old Ahmed El-Sayed. He added, “But the only issue is traffic changes, sudden surge pricing during peak hour traffic, or unavailable rides can make AI recommendations inaccurate.”
Sara Magboul praised the Arabic interface for easing ride bookings, saying, “I love that I can use these apps in Arabic — it makes booking rides in Dubai so much easier and stress-free. I don’t have to guess menus or settings, and I feel confident that everything from my pickup to fare is clear.”
