Dubai Roads Face Record Strain as 3.5 Million Cars Hit the Streets Daily

Population growth is fuelling the surge. Dubai added more than 208,000 new residents last year, and with another one million people commuting in daily from other emirates, rush hour has become one of the city’s biggest challenges.

The Roads and Transport Authority is trying to get ahead of the pressure with a mix of upgrades and policies. More than 30 projects are underway, including improvements to 11 major corridors, new restrictions for heavy vehicles, and the introduction of dynamic toll pricing to spread out peak demand.

Authorities are also encouraging flexible and remote working, alongside expanding smart traffic systems such as Salik’s digital tolling, to help commuters avoid the worst bottlenecks. The aim is to cut journey times and give people more control over their routes.

Despite the short-term pain, Dubai’s transport planners believe the combination of infrastructure, policy and technology will gradually ease the burden. For now, the gridlock is real – but smoother journeys could be closer than many think.