Sustainable Development Policy

In a growing global city such as Dubai the existing road transport infrastructure has been struggling to accommodate a steadily growing population over many years. In spite of Dubai’s heavy investment of AED 60 billion over the past decade in building roads, a metro network and expanding other modes of public transportation like public buses, marine transit and taxi services (Gulf News, 7 February 2015), traffic congestion on its roads remains a pressing reality. Even fiscal measures, such as the introduction of Salik (a selective road toll) in July 2007 and the lifting of fuel price subsidies in August of 2015, have not had a significant impact on traffic flow or congestion. The growing population, sustained economic growth, a continued inflow of expatriates and the upcoming Expo 2020 combine to pose a significant and ongoing challenge for policy makers. Indeed, new approaches need to be explored in order to achieve and sustain efficient transport policy outcomes in Dubai, particularly with regard to traffic congestion and environmental protection. This Policy Council is intended to address existing challenges in the transport sector, future scenarios, government initiatives and the role of public private partnerships (PPPs) in addressing these challenges.