Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled a plan to make the emirate's traffic signals smarter, saying the system could reduce congestion by at least 10 per cent. Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA's Corporate Technology Support Services Sector, said the network will rely on existing cameras and infrastructure to anticipate bottlenecks before they form, adjusting signal timings dynamically in real time rather than on fixed cycles.

Under the plan, every traffic signal across Dubai will be linked to the Al Barsha traffic management centre by early 2027. The rollout is part of a wider six-phase AI strategy spanning two and a half years, covering 41 areas across RTA's various agencies and departments. Officials expect more than half of RTA's services to shift onto an AI-assistant ecosystem within two years.

Services likely to be affected include fine payments, vehicle registration renewal and driving licence renewal, all of which are being folded into the digital transformation drive. Asset monitoring capacity, meanwhile, could expand to five times its current scope. RTA estimates the broader AI push will generate upwards of Dh300 million in annual added value.

The authority currently manages assets valued at more than Dh150 billion, and implementation will involve close coordination with Dubai Police. For commuters navigating some of the city's busiest corridors, the promise is less time stuck at red lights and smoother flow during peak hours — a tangible payoff from a strategy that, for now, is still rolling out signal by signal across the emirate.