Dubai RTA Expects AI Traffic Signals to Cut Congestion by at Least 10%

Ahmed Bahrozyan, chief executive of the RTA's Corporate Technology Support Services Sector, said on Dubai Radio's Direct Line programme that work to link all of Dubai's traffic signals to the authority's centre in Al Barsha should be finished early next year. AI will then use feeds from cameras and existing systems to predict where congestion is building and identify bottlenecks, and signal timings will change dynamically in response.

The signal upgrade is the most visible part of a wider AI strategy that the RTA says will generate more than Dh300 million a year in added value through efficiency gains and better services. For a city where traffic is a constant complaint among residents and businesses, a 10 per cent reduction would be significant, though Bahrozyan noted that other projects would also contribute to easing congestion.

The updated strategy covers 41 areas across the authority's agencies, sectors and departments, with AI to be built into them over two and a half years. The rollout runs in six phases; the RTA is working on the first two now and plans to complete the remaining four over the next two years. Alongside traffic and public transport, it covers back-office functions including contracts, procurement, finance and human resources, and planning for buses, the Metro and marine transport.

For motorists, the most noticeable change may be in how they deal with the authority. Bahrozyan said drivers will increasingly use an AI assistant to complete transactions rather than working through separate digital services, citing fine payments, vehicle registration renewals and driving licence renewals as examples. He said more than 50 per cent of service operations are expected to move to an AI-assistant model within two years.

The RTA also wants AI to help it look after a growing asset base, which Bahrozyan put at more than Dh150 billion. As the number and value of roads, bridges and transit assets increase, he said, relying on staff and inspectors to monitor them becomes harder. AI could expand monitoring coverage to around five times its current level, he said.

The authority already runs traffic signals from Al Barsha and coordinates continuously with Dubai Police. Bahrozyan said the strategy is reviewed every six months to a year because the technology is changing so quickly. The next milestone is the completion of the signal network connection early next year, after which the predictive timing system can operate across the whole city.