Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has been named winner of the first Dubai-it Award in the government institutions category, an honour presented by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, on Sunday, October 11.
"Dubai-it means achieving something extraordinary with excellence in record time," Sheikh Hamdan said at the ceremony, describing RTA's track record as a clear example of that philosophy in action. RTA has delivered major infrastructure projects at roughly twice the pace of international benchmarks. The Dubai Metro maintains a punctuality rate of 99.7 per cent, and more than 250 traffic-improvement schemes have cut journey times on some routes by up to 60 per cent. Flagship projects such as the Infinity Bridge were completed below average global costs for comparable works.
Over the past two years, the authority has rolled out 117 "quick-win" service improvements and now offers 82 services with zero waiting time. RTA was also credited for its work on autonomous taxis and an air-taxi station, the expansion of cycling tracks across the city, and a commitment to responding to road-related public feedback within 24 hours.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said RTA's approach "clearly reflected this philosophy by combining quality, speed and continuity, turning challenges into opportunities."
The Dubai-it Award, held for the first time this year, is intended to recognise government bodies that set standards well beyond the ordinary in delivering large-scale projects. Organisers indicated the award is expected to become an annual fixture, offering a benchmark for other government entities across the UAE to measure their own project delivery against.