Dubai’s RTA taps four major players for 637 buses

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) inked four major agreements valued AED 1.1 bn for 637 buses, scheduled for delivery in 2025 and 2026, according to a statement here and here. The agreements were signed on the sidelines of Hamburg’s Global Public Transport Summit 2025.

The orderbook breakdown is as follows:

• The RTA tapped German-based MAN Truck & Bus for 400 city service buses, with a capacity of 86 passengers each;
• China’s Zhongton Bus Company will provide 40 “zero-emission” electric buses, each capable of accommodating up to 72 passengers – the first and largest of their kind in the Emirates. The firm will also supply some 51 regular city service buses;
• RTA tapped Turkey’s Anadolu Isuzu Automobiles for some 70 articulated public buses with a capacity of 111 passengers each, under an export agreement valued at USD 37.8 mn. The vehicles are scheduled to be delivered next year;
• Sweden-based Volvo Buses will also supply 76 double-decker buses, with a capacity of 98 passengers each.

That’s not all: The RTA also inked an MoU with Chinese vehicle manufacturer BYD for a trial run of an electric bus in Dubai during the summer months.

Sustainability in mind: The buses will be equipped with Euro 6 engines, which comply with European low-emission standards, capping the volume of pollutants a fossil-fuels-powered vehicle can release. This includes an enhanced gasoline particle filter for gasoline direct injection engines, as well as a tighter standard for diesel engines.

What they said: “The newly procured buses will support the geographic expansion of bus services across all areas of Dubai and will play a key role in our transition towards a 100% electric and hydrogen-powered public bus fleet by 2050,” said RTA Chairman Mattar Al Tayer.