Dubai: Flying taxis, driverless cars to take centrestage at 2026 transport summit

Dubai will host an international public transport summit next year, aiming to position the city as a leader in shaping the future of urban mobility through global collaboration, policy development, and innovative solutions.

Scheduled for April 21-23, 2026, at Dubai World Trade Centre, the UITP (International Association of Public Transport) summit will focus on building “a sustainable, smart, and people-centred public transport system”, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Wednesday.

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Next year's hosting of the global transport comes at a time when Dubai is set to roll out driverless taxis and flying taxis. When Khaleej Times asked if delegates would be coming to the event venue riding self-driving vehicles or aerial taxis to showcase the future of mobility, the RTA did not specify plans, but Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency, said, “the ambition is there, and we are going to have air taxi services soon.

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“We are still in discussions about how we are going to showcase these futuristic projects,” added Bahrozyan, who is also chairman of the UITP Global Public Transport Summit organising committee.

“These (flying taxis and autonomous cars), however, are no longer futuristic because we already have them now,” noted Bahrozyan, adding: “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.

“Our aim is to carve the path for the future of mobility and solve the challenges of mobility. 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,” Bahrozyan continued.

Global model of innovation

In a separate statement, Bahrozyan said, “Dubai today stands as a global model of innovation and transformative progress. Since hosting the first UITP Global Public Transport Summit in 2011 and looking ahead to the upcoming edition in 2026, the emirate has achieved a remarkable series of strategic milestones and ambitious initiatives across key domains of public transport and smart mobility.

Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of RTA’s Board of Executive Directors, for his part, said: “Dubai’s hosting of the UITP Public Transport Summit 2026 highlights the city’s “efforts to shape the future of mobility and build a sustainable, smart, and people-centred public transport system.”

He noted the share of public transport has significantly increased from only 6 per cent in 2006 to 21.6 per cent in 2024.

Al Tayer also commended the long-standing partnership between RTA and the UITP, a collaboration that began with the establishment of RTA in 2005.

Al Tayer affirmed the upcoming UITP Global Public Transport Summit 2026 will serve as a strategic platform for global dialogue and cooperation, advancing the formulation of policies, innovations, and partnerships that will shape the next generation of urban mobility systems.

UITP secretary-general Mohamed Mezghani added, “Next year will mark 15 years since the city last hosted the event in 2011. Even then, Dubai was already highly advanced in the field of urban mobility, and since that time, its public transport system has evolved remarkably.”

“Dubai will become the first city outside Europe to host the Summit in its new format. I look forward with great anticipation to discovering the exceptional urban mobility solutions that the city will offer delegates upon their arrival,” he added.

• Dubai

Angel Tesorero

angel@khaleejtimes.com

Angel Tesorero is Assistant Editor and designated funny guy in the newsroom, but dead serious about writing on transport, labour migration, and environmental issues. He is a food lover too.