Getting your Dubai driver's licence just got even easier
The RTA has announced that getting your Dubai driver's licence has just become even easier.
If you're looking to start zipping around on Sheikh Zayed Road and all the rest, you'll be pleased to know the process has just been streamlined to allow you to get behind the wheel in no time.
The driver's licence services have now been consolidated by 53 percent, from 33 options to 15, with the hope of creating a seamless, secure and digital service experience.
If you like this: Etihad Rail passenger service to launch in 2026
Making it as simple as possible to get your licence through smart channels, the change will allow customers to access all RTA services through a unified app for vehicle owners, drivers and public transport users.
Services that have been streamlined for digital include applying for your licence as well as managing and renewing it, or applying for a replacement in the case of loss or damage.
The RTA also confirmed that there are new notifications you can activate and all of the simplified services are now available through the RTA website, getting rid of the need for you to visit a service centre in person.
#RTA has streamlined driver licensing services, consolidated services by 53% from 33 to 15, as part of ongoing efforts to deliver a seamless, secure, and integrated digital service experience centred on customer satisfaction. The move aligns with the Government of Dubai's vision… pic.twitter.com/F0yHpSomz1
— RTA (@rta_dubai) May 15, 2025
Speaking about the new updates, Sultan Al Akraf, Director of Driver Licensing at the RTA's Licensing Agency, said: 'The initiative to re-engineer the customer journey and streamline the process of obtaining a driver's licence through smart channels is part of a comprehensive roadmap aimed at enhancing RTA's services and improving the overall customer experience.'
'The re-engineering of the customer journey aims to simplify procedures by reducing the number of steps and required visits, minimising waiting times, and ultimately enhancing operational efficiency while strengthening integration with other government platforms.'
'Proactive notifications have also been activated, and all these services are now fully accessible online via RTA's official website through simplified steps, eliminating the need to visit service centres.'
In other Dubai news
How being an epic gamer could get you a 10-year Golden Residency Visa in Dubai
Yes, really
flydubai starts new daily route from DXB
And it starts next week
UAE public holiday dates 2025 revealed: All the days off this year
The important dates to know
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out
5 hours ago
- Time Out
Steep service cuts could be coming to Chicago public transit—here's why
Chicago's transit future just missed its train. State legislators wrapped their spring session this weekend without passing a critical funding and reform package meant to plug a $770 million hole in the Regional Transportation Authority's 2026 budget, as reported by WTTW. Now, with federal COVID relief money set to expire, the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace are staring down a fiscal cliff—and the consequences could be dire. If nothing changes, officials warn the region could see 40-percent system-wide service cuts beginning in 2026, along with nearly 3,000 layoffs. The CTA alone may be forced to shut down half of its L lines and eliminate 60-percent of its bus routes, a move that would cut off service for 500,000 Chicagoans and strand 260,000 workers. RTA leaders have called it a 'regional emergency.' The funding fix that almost was was a bill championed by state Senator Ram Villivalam that paired governance reform with a bundle of controversial taxes, including a $1.50 delivery fee on food and packages and a rideshare surcharge. It passed the Senate late Saturday, but never made it to a House vote before the deadline struck midnight. 'It's clear that many in both the House and Senate support transit,' said RTA spokesperson Tina Fassett Smith, per WGN. 'Balancing regional interests is challenging, but we are ready to continue our work to achieve consensus and deliver a solution.' Under the proposed legislation, the RTA would've been restructured as the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, overseeing a unified fare system and capital planning across the three transit agencies. Governor JB Pritzker expressed support for reforms but emphasized that funding without accountability is a non-starter. 'You can't put money into something that doesn't guarantee [safety and reliability] at the start,' he said, according to The Chicago Tribune. The fallout could ripple well beyond city limits. Metra may slash early and late trains, Pace could drop weekend service and ADA paratransit would shrink by two-thirds. The region could lose an estimated $2.6 billion in GDP annually and see 90 million fewer transit trips.
Time Out Dubai
5 days ago
- Time Out Dubai
Dubai Metro Blue Line: Opening date, planned route, map and more
The Dubai Metro is set to get a huge upgrade. By 2029, the Dubai Metro Blue Line, an entirely new line, will join both the Red and Green Lines to expand the public transport offering across Dubai. Dubai's RTA has confirmed that work on the Dhs20.5 billion Dubai Metro Blue Line project is underway and will be up and running sooner than you think. When will Dubai Metro Blue Line open? The RTA revealed in December 2024 that the new Blue Line will start operating in 2029. The project is scheduled to be completed on the date of its 20th anniversary of operations Sunday September 9 2029. Once completed, it is expected to serve 200,000 passengers every day by 2030 with this number rising to 320,000 by 2040 as the Dubai population continues to grow. تستمر #هيئة_الطرق_و_المواصلات في تنفيذ مشاريع نوعية تسهم في تعزيز مكانة #دبي العالمية وتؤكد ريادتها في مجال تطوير البنى التحتية، حيث تستعرض في المعرض والمؤتمر العالمي للسكك الحديدية والنقل والبنية التحتية #جلوبال_ريل2024، مشروع الخط الأزرق لـ #مترو_دبي، الذي يحقق الربط والتكامل… — RTA (@rta_dubai) October 8, 2024 At the end of April 2025, H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, chaired the Blue Line Forum meeting, attended by Dubai Metro Blue Line stakeholders. Sharing the development on X, it was revealed how the meeting reviewed the latest developments and overall progress of the Blue Line Project. These regular meetings reflect RTA's commitment to informed decision-making at every stage of the project and ensure the project stays on schedule and is delivered as planned. At an RTA workshop, it was also revealed that the Dubai Metro Blue Line will cut traffic by 20 percent in nine neighbourhoods once built. H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, chaired the Blue Line Forum meeting, attended by the heads of the Dubai Metro Blue Line Project Consortium, and the supervising consultant. The meeting discussed the latest developments… — RTA (@rta_dubai) April 28, 2025 Dubai Metro Blue Line stations In July 2024, the RTA announced that the Dubai Metro will eventually more than double its number of stations operating in the city by 2040. The only project currently announced for this transformation of the public transport system is the Dubai Metro Blue Line. It will feature 14 stations, with nine above ground and five underground, and extend over 30km. It will serve nine vital areas of the city and connect with the Red Line at Centrepoint Station and the Green Line at Al Khor Station. These areas include Marsa, Dubai Creek, Festival City, International City, Al Rashidiya, Al Warqa, Mirdif, and urban areas such as Silicon Oasis, Academic City Dubai Metro plans will eventually more than double the current number of stations. (Credit: Government of Dubai) Despite work only beginning on the Dubai Metro Blue Line this year, RTA and Dubai Police have discussed the requirements of the project and what will ensure the safety of city residents. Speaking in February 2024, Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, RTA, announced that work had begun. He said: 'RTA is consistently expanding and upgrading the public transport network. '2024 is set to mark the commencement of the Dubai Metro Blue Line project, which will stretch over a total of 30km, with 15.5 km running underground and 14.5 km above ground. You might also like: New Dubai Metro Blue Line map: What the new route could look like 'The project encompasses 14 stations including three interchange stations, connecting key areas in Dubai to cope with the projected demographic growth of surrounding areas to one million people as per the Dubai Urban Master Plan 2040. Dubai's #RTA announced that in 2023, the combined ridership of public transport and shared mobility, including Dubai Metro, Tram, buses, marine transport, shared mobility services, and taxis, reached around 702 million, up 13% from 2022's 621.4 million. The average daily… — RTA (@rta_dubai) February 18, 2024 'It also integrates with the Red and Green lines of the Metro, offering a direct link between Dubai International Airport and nine principal areas situated along its route. The journey time between these destinations is expected to vary from 10 to 25 minutes,' added Al Tayer. Plans for Dubai Metro Blue Line were first announced in November 2023 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. At the time, HH Sheikh Mohammed said: 'The Blue Line Route of the Dubai Metro… (will) cost 18 billion dirhams.' But this estimated cost has since risen to Dhs20.5 billion following the announcement, in December 2024, of a consortium of three major construction companies to build the project. Turkish firms MAPA and Limak, as well as Chinese construction company CRRC will form a consortium to build the project. HH Sheikh Mohammed also confirmed where the Blue Line will operate when the plans were first announced. He added: '[The Dubai Metro Blue Line] covers areas with a population of up to a million people such as Marsa, Dubai Creek, Festival City, International City, Al Rashidiya, Al Warqa, Mirdif, and urban areas such as Silicon Oasis, Academic City, and others. The new line will transport 320,000 new passengers daily.' The Dubai Metro map (Credit: Interestingly, and unlike the current Metro Lines, just over half of the Dubai Metro Blue Line will be underground and the remainder above ground. With hundreds of millions of riders on the Dubai Metro every year, the commencement of work on the Blue Line is bound to be exciting news for public transport users in Dubai. Currently, Green Line stations are in Bur Dubai and Deira in the old town. The Red Line connects the old city and airport to Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina and Expo 2020 in the south-west. More Dubai transport news Dubai reveals plans for quicker bus journeys More than 11,000 trips are made daily on city buses 6 wild public transport projects coming soon to Dubai From Elon Musk's underground tunnel to a trackless tram 57 major road projects coming to Dubai by 2027 — here's what to expect And how they'll improve your journey
Time Out Dubai
7 days ago
- Time Out Dubai
RTA partners with Pony.ai to bring robotaxi fleet to Dubai
The Roads and Transport Authority has announced its latest plans to bring robotaxis to Dubai. The RTA has signed a memorandum of understanding with American firm to bring self-driving taxis to the emirate. Set to start supervised trials of a fleet of cabs in the latter half of 2025, it is believed that there will be fully driverless operations on Dubai roads as early as next year. Dubai residents can expect an advanced fleet of vehicles to hit the roads next year. This latest agreement follows previous deals with popular ride-hailing app Uber and Chinese firm Baidu to also start trials of autonomous taxis in Dubai. Driverless taxis will be introduced to Dubai roads in 2025 (Credit: RTA) collaborates with industry leaders, including Toyota, GAC Motor, and BAIC Motor, to develop its seventh-generation robotaxis. Mass deployment is slated for later this year following the vehicles' successful debut in Shanghai in April. Its advanced sensor array handles complex scenarios ranging from high-speed highways to crowded urban centres like Dubai's business and financial districts. Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of Public Transport Agency at RTA, said the partnership will help the authority in its goal to bring more autonomous options to Dubai. He said: 'The collaboration with marks another significant milestone in advancing Dubai's Self-Driving Transport Strategy. 'This partnership is integral to our goal of transforming 25 percent of all journeys in the city into autonomous trips by 2030, reinforcing Dubai's position as a global leader in autonomous mobility and innovation. 'We are excited to work with a pioneer in autonomous driving technology, to further enhance the integration of smart transport solutions in Dubai.' Driverless taxis will be introduced in Dubai (Credit: Baidu) Long-term plans for in Dubai include integrating robotaxi services with Dubai's multimodal transport network – encompassing metro, tram, and maritime routes – to create a future where autonomous vehicles complement existing infrastructure, enabling smoother journeys and reducing the city's carbon footprint. Dr. Leo Wang, CFO of said that they are committed to helping Dubai move to self-driving transport. He said: 'Dubai stands at the forefront of intelligent urban mobility innovation, and we are honoured to collaborate with RTA on this transformative initiative. 'By combining our proven autonomous driving technology and extensive fleet operation experience, we are committed to accelerating Dubai's transition to autonomous transportation.' More Dubai transport news 6 sci-fi (but sensible) public transport projects coming to Dubai From Elon Musk's underground tunnel to a trackless tram The UAE traffic law has now changed What you need to know about the new rules 36 huge traffic improvement projects coming soon to Dubai And some sooner than you think
