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Dubai Roads & Transport Authority Introduces Smart Solutions
A range of innovative digital services now aid mobility and improve efficiency.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has introduced a range of smart technology solutions to automate services and make life easier and more convenient for citizens as the Emirate continues its digital transformation plan leading up to 2025.
Here are some of the services that have been improved using cutting-edge tech:
Smart Kiosks
Citizens can now renew vehicle registrations, pay parking fines, and recharge their nol cards 24/7 at 32 separate smart kiosks featuring biometric login. In total, 28 digital services are available, with payment options including cash, credit cards, and NFC digital wallets.
Taxi App
As well as an hourly rental service, residents and tourists can book taxis and limos 24 hours a day. The new Dubai Taxi Corporation app also features a “Lost and Found” section, along with location sharing, route details, and estimated arrival times.
nol Pay App
An updated version of the nol Pay app can now be used for transport fares, parking, tourist attractions, and even shopping. Instant balance top-ups are available, along with integration of digital IDs for simplified registration.
Driving Licenses
A “Click and Drive” initiative for obtaining driving licenses has digitized the entire admin process, reducing wait times by 75%. The new service even includes a mobile eye-testing facility.
Free Parking Permits
Parking permits are now available digitally and don’t need to be printed or displayed. The service allows users to add up to 5 vehicles, with each activated at a time through the RTA Dubai app.
Unified Booking
The RTA plans to streamline transport bookings and tickets over the next couple of years, unifying regulations across all providers, which currently includes the likes of Careem, Udrive, Uber, ekar, and Hala.
News
UAE Prepares To Launch Two Satellites: Thuraya-2 And MBZ-SAT
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council yesterday.
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council in Dubai on December 16, 2024. The session highlighted the UAE’s ambitious space plans and took stock of the sector’s economic progress.
The council emphasized the growing role of private companies in advancing space technologies, noting that their contributions are now equal to that of the public sector. Members also praised initiatives like the Space Economic Zones Programme, which are designed to fuel innovation and investment in the space industry.
خلال ترؤسنا الاجتماع الأول للمجلس الأعلى للفضاء، بحثنا الاستثمارات الوطنية والمشاريع المقبلة في قطاع الفضاء والذي يشهد تطوراً مستمراً… وجددنا التزامنا بدعم ومواصلة تنفيذ برامج طموحة لاستكشاف الفضاء الخارجي حيث وصل حجم الاستثمارات في هذا القطاع إلى 40 مليار درهم خلال السنوات… pic.twitter.com/etJ33OnuSu
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) December 16, 2024
Discussing the UAE’s space journey, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum remarked, “The national space sector continues to grow and advance, and we take immense pride in the remarkable achievements we have accomplished over the years”.
Sheikh Hamdan also received updates on two upcoming satellite projects: Thuraya-2 and MBZ-SAT. Thuraya-2, developed by Space42, is slated for launch this December. Meanwhile, the MBZ-SAT, created by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), will soon follow. MBRSC, a major driver of the UAE National Space Programme, continues to lead the nation’s space-related developments.
Space42 took the opportunity to showcase its advancements, including ongoing collaborations between public and private entities. The company also outlined strategies to promote innovation, boost revenue streams, and create new opportunities for growth in the sector.
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The UAE’s current projects build on a growing legacy of space exploration. Back in 2020, the nation made headlines with its Mars mission, successfully sending a probe into the planet’s orbit in 2021. This mission, which is now in its second phase as of June 2024, has been collecting critical data to develop a comprehensive diurnal image of Mars.
The UAE also ventured into lunar exploration with an unmanned mission aimed at studying untouched regions of the Moon’s surface. While the probe ultimately crashed during its landing attempt after communication was lost seconds before touchdown, the effort represented a significant step in the country’s exploration ambitions.