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UAE adds over 558,000 new drivers in 2025; male motorists more than female
With hundreds of thousands of new drivers joining the roads each year, the UAE is pushing ahead with an ambitious infrastructure agenda to match the pace of growth.
- PUBLISHED: Wed 6 May 2026, 3:47 PM
A total of 558,191 new driving licences were issued across the UAE in 2025, marking a robust 10.7 per cent increase compared to the 504,377 licences issued the year before, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Interior.
The double-digit growth signals the UAE's continued population growth, economic expansion, and enduring appeal as a global hub for expatriates and professionals. The sharp rise in new licences was largely driven by male applicants. In 2025, 443,988 men obtained their driving licences, a 12 per cent jump from the 396,371 licences issued to men in 2024. Male drivers accounted for 79.5 per cent of all new licences last year, a slight increase from their 78.6 per cent share in 2024.
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Female motorists also saw steady growth, continuing to build a strong presence on UAE roads. In 2025, 114,203 women secured their driving licences, reflecting a 5.7 per cent increase from the 108,006 licences issued to women the year prior.
Women accounted for 20.5 per cent of all new licences issued in 2025, adding more than 6,100 new drivers to the road compared to 2024. Taken together, the 2025 figures represent an addition of 53,814 new licence holders over the previous year, joining UAE roads in just twelve months.
Roads, rails and metro lines
With hundreds of thousands of new drivers joining the roads each year, the UAE is pushing ahead with an ambitious infrastructure agenda to match the pace of growth.
At the federal level, the government is building the Fourth Federal Corridor, a Dh6 billion, 120-kilometre, 12-lane highway linking five emirates, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, capable of handling around 360,000 trips per day and expected to raise the efficiency of federal roads by 73 per cent.
In Dubai, the Roads and Transport Authority is delivering 72 infrastructure projects by the end of 2027, covering 226 kilometres of new roads alongside 115 bridges and tunnels.
The city is also pressing ahead with its most ambitious public transport expansion Dh20.5 billion Metro Blue Line, a 30-kilometre route with 14 stations set to open on September 9, 2029, marking exactly two decades since the Dubai Metro first launched. A further Metro Gold Line, estimated at $9 billion, has also been announced for 2032.
Together, these projects signal that the UAE is determined to build the infrastructure to stay ahead of it.
Ruqayya Alqaydi is a Special Correspondent with an endless curiosity to learn. Like a journalist on a caffeine overdrive, she is fuelled by passion and on a mission to uncover every gem in the UAE.