Jordan’s bus network took the top prize at the 14th edition of the RTA’s sustainable transport awards.
The 14th Dubai Award for Sustainable Transport has named its winners, after a year in which entries jumped more than fourfold.
Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Olympic Committee, honored the winners at a ceremony at Dubai World Trade Centre on Thursday, October 15. The event was held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and organized by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
The award received more than 750 applications this year, a 400 percent increase on the previous edition, the Dubai Media Office said. Of these, 158 made it to the final evaluation. Entries came from 45 entities in nine countries, along with 460 individual entries from 22 countries.
“The significant growth in participation in the 14th edition reflects the award’s growing profile,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at the RTA.
Dubai Sustainable Transport Award Elite Prize Goes to Jordan
The top honor of the night was the Elite Award, introduced in this edition. It went to the Greater Amman Municipality in Jordan for its Bus Rapid Transit project.
The municipality received a special trophy and a $100,000 prize.
Amman’s network runs 193 buses on nine routes covering 215 kilometers. It has carried 73.9 million passengers so far, an average of 2.1 million a month. A second phase will add more than 43 kilometers and three new routes.
Artificial intelligence was the focus of this year’s edition. The Best AI Innovation in Transport award was shared between Qatar’s Ministry of Transport and the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.
Author and entrepreneur Tony Seba gave the keynote address, titled “The Economics of Disruption and the Future of Transport.” He spoke about falling technology costs, autonomous electric vehicles, and the move toward a “Transport-as-a-Service” model.
UAE Students Win AED 240,000 in Sustainable Transport Prizes
Students from schools and universities across the UAE shared AED 240,000 in prize money across two categories. In each category, first place received AED 60,000, second place AED 40,000, and third place AED 20,000.
In the NextGen for Mobility category, Yousef Al Badawi of Ajman University took first place for Smart Solar Pedestrian Nodes. The project adds solar shades, AI, and water harvesting to pedestrian crossings.
Lauren De Souza of Middlesex University Dubai came second with “Koko’s Day Out,” a sensory book that helps autistic children aged six to 12 prepare for using public transport. Abdulrahman Mohammed Al Raisi of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University placed third with energy-generating speed bumps.
The Outstanding Student Solutions award went to Shamas Abdulraouf of The Indian School in Abu Dhabi for “Empty Miles,” an AI platform that matches spare space in commercial vehicles with delivery demand.
A judging panel chaired by Dr. Yousef Mohammed Al Ali reviewed the entries. Its members came from UAE University, the American University of Sharjah, Birzeit University, the Higher Colleges of Technology, the International Association of Public Transport, and the RTA.
Category winners at the 14th Dubai Award for Sustainable Transport
- Pioneering Sustainable Cities: Abu Dhabi Mobility, Integrated Regulatory Framework for Sustainable and Inclusive Transport
- Outstanding Sustainable Fleet: Etihad Rail, Modal Shift project
- Clean Energy for Mobility: Keeta Drone, Delivery in Dubai
- Urban Changemakers: Emarat EV Charging Stations Company, UAEV charging network
- Urban Flow Improvement: Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Resilient Transport for Crises and Congestion
- Safe Transport: Dubai Police General Command, Safe Cycling in Dubai
- First and Last Mile: Careem, Careem Bike
- Transport for All: Enakl of Morocco, Access to Skills
