Dubai to roll out UAE’S largest bus fleet with 735 buses
Dubai: Steps up transition to cleaner public transport, targets 735 electric buses by 2026 The Dubai government is accelerating the pace of its transition towards zero-emission mobility system by mid-century with plans for introducing an additional 735 electric buses across the emirate as early as in 2026.
In a statement, the Roads and Transport Authority said that with the new fleet slated for timely delivery, this represents its largest transport expansion of this kind in the UAE to date, more than doubling the emirate's electric public transport capacity.
The authority currently has 40 electric buses in its fleet as part of a broader plan, which incorporates hydrogen-powered vehicles that aligns with the targets of Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and UAE national target attributes climate neutrality overall.
Charging infrastructure has already been set up at five key operating depots, with 32 high-capacity (360 kW) chargers in total supporting the expansion of charging capabilities. Spread across Al Quoz, Al Ruwayyah, Lehbab, Business Bay and Jebel Ali these further bolster fleet readiness while ensuring operational continuity as electric bus deployment progresses.
The first of these new buses is already in use on Route F13, which has a range of up to 370 km per charge courtesy of a 470 kilowatt-hour battery. The RTA said it took special consideration of air-conditioning efficiency and passenger comfort.
Performance evaluations are performed on technical and operational indicators (e.g. battery range, charging time, energy usage & overall efficiency) as well with variables such as emission reduction and noise levels.
Early results show performance is strong, especially on short and medium urban routes, with over 95 per cent satisfaction from both drivers and passengers.
The expansion comes as part of a long term strategy by the authority to develop a sustainable and environmentally friendly transport system based on advanced operational solutions that improve efficiency and reduce emissions, Marwan Al Zarooni, director of buses in the Public Transport Agency said.
The development of key charging infrastructure sites itself is essential for the reliability and scalability of the fleet, thus enabling electric buses to be gradually integrated into the whole network, he added.
Environmental indicators show measurable progress. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, the authority reported a 12 per cent reduction in 2025 over the previous year, and a 44 per cent decrease compared with its baseline year in 2022.
Electric buses have also contributed to avoiding over 59,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2025 in line with the broader aim to achieve a 30 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, as Dubai pushes ahead with plans for a fully zero-emission public transport system.
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