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Abu Dhabi's population has shot up, but it won't cause road chaos; traffic expert explains why
As the emirate's population is projected to surge by 83 per cent by 2040, road safety experts say the capital is well equipped to handle the pressure
- PUBLISHED: Thu 3 Jul 2025, 12:20 PM UPDATED: Thu 3 Jul 2025, 12:37 PM
Despite Abu Dhabi's population being forecast to grow to 5.4 million by 2040, transport analysts say the emirate has already proven its ability to manage increased traffic — and may even improve congestion levels as it expands.
The Capital had demonstrated "a very, very good understanding of how to deal with increased traffic, which is a consequence of increased population", Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, said.
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Referring to recent global congestion ranking data, he noted: “Even when the population grows in Abu Dhabi, the traffic improves.” He cited a report released in January by traffic analytics company INRIX, which showed that the average motorist in Abu Dhabi spent just 19 hours in traffic congestion in 2023 — one of the lowest levels globally. In comparison, Dubai motorists reportedly spent 71 hours in traffic that year. "So, Abu Dhabi is doing a great job so far," he noted.
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Edelmann said congestion is a measurable outcome of sound urban planning, and Abu Dhabi authorities had proven themselves capable of aligning infrastructure development with future demand.
“They will align the efforts of growing the road infrastructure, of growing the technology that’s applied. They have proven that in the past, they will continue doing that.”
He added that public demand for non-road-based mass transport options was also growing across the UAE: “The ongoing expansion of the public transportation system, the public mass transportation system, which ideally should not be road-bound, is on top of the wish list of the UAE road users. They want to see rail-bound mass transportation, meaning metro and rail, in order to move vehicles off the road.” While Abu Dhabi does not yet have a metro system, plans have previously been floated for future rail development to complement the emirate’s expanding bus and taxi network.
Edelmann also highlighted the importance of integrating urban development with artificial intelligence (AI) tools to pre-empt traffic flow changes and support sustainable infrastructure planning. “Artificial intelligence in this context certainly plays a big role in urban planning. So, simulations will be run to understand where the emirate will build and expand the housing infrastructure,” he explained. “And as a consequence, traffic streams will be basically showcased, and they will be taken into consideration to plan and expand the existing road infrastructure.”
“It is very fair to assume that they will be on top of developments. I think there's a very strong message of the Abu Dhabi authorities really having a very, very good grip of what's happening — what has happened in the past and also in the future.” While Dubai and Sharjah have received more public attention for traffic bottlenecks, Edelmann said Abu Dhabi continues to fare well by comparison.
“Abu Dhabi is blessed in a way. We have data that was published not so long ago about the traffic. It is one of the safest capital cities in the world. You know the bottlenecks in the UAE, and Abu Dhabi is not one of them. So, I don't foresee any impact.”
