Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the operating hours for its services during the New Year holiday on Thursday, January 1, 2026. The schedule covers Customer Happiness Centres, vehicle testing centres, public transport services, marine transport, and public parking facilities across the emirate.
Customer Happiness Centres
All RTA Customer Happiness Centres will be closed on January 1, 2026. However, Smart Customer Happiness Centres located at Al Barsha, Al Twar, Al Kifaf, and the RTA Headquarters will continue to operate 24 hours as usual.
Vehicle testing and service provider centres
All service provider centres, including vehicle testing facilities, will be closed on January 1, 2026. Regular operations will resume on Friday, January 2, 2026, in line with approved working schedules.
Dubai Metro services
Red and Green Lines will operate as follows:
Wednesday, December 31, 2025 05:00 AM to 11:59 PM
Thursday, January 1, 2026 12:00 midnight to 11:59 PM
Dubai Tram services
Wednesday, December 31, 2025 06:00 AM to 11:59 PM
Thursday, January 1, 2026 12:00 midnight to 01:00 AM (early hours of the following day)
Public bus services
Image: Dubai Media Office
Passengers are advised to check the S’hail application for updated bus schedules during the New Year holiday.
Bus Route E100 will not operate from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station starting from the afternoon of December 31. The final trip will depart at 12:00 noon from Abu Dhabi and at 2:00 PM from Al Ghubaiba. Services will resume on January 4, 2026. During this period, passengers are advised to use Bus Route E101 operating from Ibn Battuta Bus Station to Abu Dhabi.
Bus Route E102 will operate from Ibn Battuta Bus Station on December 31 from 2:00 PM onwards until the end of the day.
Marine transport services
Updated operating hours for marine transport services during the New Year holiday can be accessed via the RTA link: https://rta.ink/4ieNSa0
Public parking
Public parking across Dubai will be free of charge on January 1, 2026, except for multi-storey parking facilities and Al Khail Gate (N-365). Parking fees will resume on Friday, January 2, 2026.
The United Arab Emirates expanded its national housing programme in 2025 as part of a broader strategy to strengthen family stability, raise living standards and increase access to suitable housing nationwide.
During the year, the UAE Cabinet approved 3,567 housing decisions valued at Dhs2.546bn, including nearly Dhs478m allocated in the final quarter alone, WAM reported. Federal support covered a combination of residential financing, direct government grants for low-income families, and housing and financing schemes implemented in partnership with national banks.
To further enhance long-term housing security, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure introduced a programme to secure funding for approved housing support decisions, with a focus on senior citizens. The initiative provides insurance coverage extending up to the age of 95 and includes protection in cases of death or total permanent disability.
At the emirate level, Abu Dhabi signed agreements to develop 13 residential communities with a combined value of Dhs106bn, set to deliver more than 40,000 homes and land plots by 2029. The emirate also rolled out new financial facilities for homeowners, including a Dhs250,000 community support subsidy that is automatically and retroactively deducted from housing loans of up to AED1.75m, alongside extended repayment terms of up to 30 years. Total housing benefits issued in Abu Dhabi during 2025 reached Dhs15.384bn, benefiting more than 10,700 citizens.
Dubai announced housing projects worth Dhs5.4bn, including 3,004 new homes, and approved an additional Dhs2bn package for 1,100 units across Wadi Al Amardi, Al Aweer, Hatta and Oud Al Muteena. The emirate also launched an affordable housing initiative expected to deliver 17,000 units in its first phase, targeting employees in key and strategic sectors.
In Sharjah, the Executive Council approved land grants for 3,500 beneficiaries, evenly split between residential and investment plots.
Together, these federal and emirate-level initiatives highlight the UAE’s continued focus on aligning social stability objectives with long-term urban development and national growth priorities.
The Dubai Maritime Authority (DMA), part of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, has activated its final operational plan to manage marine traffic during the New Year’s Eve 2026 celebrations, reinforcing maritime safety and ensuring smooth vessel movement across Dubai waters during peak activity.
Operational timeline and coverage
The plan will be implemented from the evening of Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and will be fully enforced between 10:00 pm on December 31, 2025 and 2:00 am on January 1, 2026. Measures will apply to high-density marine zones, particularly Dubai Marina, Dubai Harbour, and Palm Jumeirah, where vessel traffic is expected to peak during celebrations.
Navigation controls and temporary closures
The operational plan introduces a one-way navigation system before and after midnight, alongside a temporary suspension of marine navigation during the transition period. Marine traffic beneath the Palm Jumeirah bridges will be closed during peak hours from 10:00 pm until 2:00 am.
Vessels will be classified by size, with designated routes and mandatory time windows assigned to each category to reduce congestion and minimise collision risks.
Safety enforcement and compliance
Sheikh Dr. Saeed bin Ahmed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, executive director of Dubai Maritime Authority, said that activating the final plan reflects DMA’s commitment to the highest maritime safety standards and navigational efficiency, in line with Dubai’s position as a global destination for major events.
He added that patrol and monitoring teams will operate around the clock, in coordination with relevant authorities, to ensure compliance with all issued instructions. Immediate legal action will be taken against violations in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
The plan also includes strict controls on anchoring and drifting, regulation of mooring areas, and prevention of unauthorised activity within navigation channels. Vessel operators must comply fully with international collision-prevention regulations, maintain safe distances, and avoid route changes except in emergency situations.
Advisory to vessel operators and sea-goers
DMA stressed that all vessel owners, maritime agents, marinas, yacht clubs, and recreational boat operators must fully adhere to the approved operational plan to ensure a safe and organised maritime environment during New Year’s Eve celebrations.
The Authority also urged sea-goers to closely monitor current and forecast weather conditions, noting the potential for unstable or adverse weather during the New Year period.
Coordination with maritime stakeholders
As part of its preparations, Dubai Maritime Authority conducted a specialised coordination workshop with strategic partners and marina operators across Dubai. The workshop reviewed operational readiness, maritime routing, vessel movement schedules, patrol deployment, and inter-agency coordination.
Discussions also covered anchoring regulations, approved maritime zones, enforcement mechanisms, emergency response procedures, communication protocols, and potential marine bottlenecks. Emphasis was placed on ensuring institutional integration and the effective application of marine navigation systems during New Year’s Eve operations.
Adyen’s Daumantas Grigaravicius on the rise of agentic commerce in the UAE
The head of Middle East at Adyen explains how agentic commerce differs from today’s AI-driven retail and how close the region is to real-world adoption
As artificial intelligence (AI) moves from recommendation engines to systems that can act autonomously, the way consumers shop is set to change in fundamental ways. Known as agentic commerce, this next phase of AI promises to delegate everything from product discovery to checkout to intelligent agents operating on a customer’s behalf.
For markets like the UAE, where digital payments, e-commerce adoption and regulatory readiness are already well established, the shift could arrive sooner than many expect.
In this interview with Gulf Business, Daumantas Grigaravicius, head of Middle East at Adyen, explains how agentic commerce differs from today’s AI-driven retail, how close the region is to real-world adoption, and what it means for payments infrastructure, fraud prevention and the future relationship between merchants and consumers.
Agentic commerce is being described as the next evolution of AI in retail. How would you define it, and what makes it different from the AI-driven commerce we’ve seen so far?
Artificial intelligence took a major leap three years ago with the rise of generative AI models, which can process huge amounts of data to answer questions, generate content and support creative and decision-making tasks. The next step in this evolution is agentic AI, which goes beyond simply responding. It can take a complex instruction, reason through it, plan what needs to happen and act autonomously on a user’s behalf.
The intersection of agentic AI and online shopping is where agentic commerce resides, and it is essentially AI doing the shopping for you, from discovery through to checkout and with very limited manual input. Think of it this way: current AI helps you find the perfect pair of trainers by analysing your preferences and past purchases.
An AI agent, on the other hand, would proactively monitor prices across retailers, wait for the optimal moment to buy, apply the best available discounts and complete the purchase – all based on a simple instruction like “buy me the most comfortable pair of running trainers under Dhs500 and have them delivered by Friday”.
What makes this relevant for the UAE is that the foundations are already in place. The Emirates has one of the world’s highest e-commerce adoption rates, consumers are quick to adopt new technologies, and the regulatory landscape has been evolving in a way that makes this shift easier.
Our 2025 Retail Report shows that 70 per cent of UAE consumers use AI tools when shopping – a 44 per cent increase on last year’s figures – which highlights how ready the market is for more autonomous capabilities.
The real game-changer is how agentic commerce will transform the merchant-customer relationship. Instead of competing for attention through traditional channels, merchants will need to ensure their products and services are optimally positioned for agent discovery and selection.
This means creating new touchpoints that work and fit within this autonomous framework while at the same time preserving brand identity and customer loyalty.
How close are we really to AI agents autonomously handling end-to-end shopping experiences in the UAE market? What are the current technical and regulatory barriers?
We’re actually closer than many people think – I’d say we’re looking at adoption that goes beyond pilots within 18 to 24 months for specific use cases, with broader implementation and more sophisticated capabilities following soon after. The momentum is undeniable – new research by cloud software company Salesforce shows that 80 per cent of UAE organisations plan to use AI agents by 2027, up from just 32 per cent today. Right now, we have AI systems that manage personalised product recommendations, dynamic pricing, inventory forecasting and customer support through chatbots.
The next step would be giving these systems more autonomy to act on behalf of customers – for example, searching across multiple e-commerce platforms, accessing and analysing product specifications, reviews and ratings, comparing prices in real time and evaluating return policies and other logistical details before completing the purchase.
From a technical standpoint, the main challenges aren’t prohibitive. We need robust authentication mechanisms to ensure AI agents have explicit authorisation to act on behalf of consumers – what we call verifiable mandates. We’re working with Google and other partners on the Agent Payments Protocol to establish these standards. There’s also the question of interoperability – ensuring AI agents can seamlessly interact with different merchant systems, payment methods and platforms without creating new friction points.
All in all, it’s very encouraging to see genuine collaboration between regulators, technology providers and financial institutions here. The UAE has consistently shown it can move quickly when there’s innovation potential, and agentic commerce certainly qualifies.
As these AI agents begin to make more autonomous decisions on behalf of consumers, how do you see this changing the way people discover and purchase products?
The shift will be significant, but it’s likely to unfold in stages. We’re moving from active shopping to delegated commerce, where consumers define parameters and let AI handle execution. Instead of browsing tens of websites to find the best deal, you’ll set preferences and budgets, then let your AI agent search and place the order.
For UAE consumers, who already value convenience and efficiency, this is a natural evolution. Consider how shopping habits here have already evolved from mall-centric retail to same-day e-commerce delivery.
Agentic commerce takes this further by removing friction entirely from routine purchases. Your AI agent could automatically reorder household essentials when supplies run low, book travel when flight and hotel prices are more reasonable, or even coordinate complex purchases like furnishing a new house within a set budget.
Discovery also becomes far more data-driven in this environment. Instead of being influenced by ads or social media, AI agents will make decisions based on objective criteria – price, quality metrics, delivery times, sustainability scores and more. This puts pressure on merchants to compete on substance rather than just marketing appeal. But here’s what’s crucial – this doesn’t eliminate the human element. High-involvement purchases, luxury goods, experiences – these will still involve personal choice and emotional connection. What changes is that the mundane, repetitive aspects of commerce get automated, freeing consumers to focus on purchases that actually matter to them.
Greater autonomy also raises questions about security and accountability. How do you expect the nature of fraud to evolve, and who would be liable when an AI agent makes an unauthorised purchase?
Fraud in an agentic world becomes both more sophisticated and, paradoxically, more preventable. On one hand, bad actors will try to manipulate AI agents through altered data, prompt injection or by exploiting decision-making patterns. On the other hand, AI agents can apply layers of security that humans simply can’t perform manually – automatic transaction validation, real-time behavioural analysis, instant cross-reference with global fraud databases, and the list goes on.
The key is designing these systems with security built in from the start. Every action taken by an AI agent should have a clear record that the customer approved it – a secure, traceable confirmation that leaves no room for doubt about who authorised what. This creates an immutable audit trail that protects both merchants and consumers. For our part, we’re extending our expertise in tokenisation and authentication directly into agent-led payment flows to ensure these safeguards are robust.
Liability is where clear regulatory frameworks become essential. In our view, there should be a shared responsibility model. The AI platform provider ensures their agent operates within defined parameters and maintains security standards. The merchant remains responsible for delivering goods and services as promised.
The payment processor safeguards the integrity of the transaction and provides the mechanisms for resolving disputes. And consumers maintain responsibility for the mandates and permissions they grant to their agents.
In reality, this shift can help reduce fraud overall. AI agents don’t fall for phishing emails, don’t share passwords and can’t be social engineered. The challenge is ensuring these benefits aren’t offset by new attack vectors, which is why industry collaboration on security standards is so critical.
From a payments and infrastructure standpoint, what advancements do you expect will be needed to fully support agentic commerce at scale over the next few years?
Today’s payment systems are built around human-initiated, discrete transactions. Agentic commerce requires infrastructure that can handle cascading payment flows at massive scale, operating with instant authorisation and settlement to keep pace with AI-driven decision-making.
When an AI agent is comparing prices across hundreds of merchants simultaneously, even the smallest delays could compound into poorer outcomes. The UAE’s advanced digital infrastructure gives us an advantage here, but there’s still work to be done on international transaction speeds.
Token portability becomes crucial. Merchants need to recognise customers seamlessly across agentic channels through universal tokens that work regardless of which AI platform initiates the transaction.
We’re building this into our tokenisation infrastructure – creating identifiers so customers can be recognised easily across different channels. We also need new types of payment instruments designed specifically for AI agents. Think about programmable payment methods with built-in spending rules, multi-signature authorisations for high-value purchases or escrow-like mechanisms for complex transactions. These are evolutionary steps from existing capabilities that need to be standardised.
Perhaps most importantly, we need infrastructure that preserves merchant control and customer choice. The risk of disintermediation is real if we’re not careful. That’s why we’re advocating for and working with partners on open protocols and standards that ensure merchants maintain direct relationships with their customers and own their transaction data, regardless of how AI agents evolve.
The rise of agentic commerce is not a zero-sum game. It builds on technologies already evolving across the ecosystem. And like every major shift in commerce, this new phase is complex, but it’s one we are navigating with our merchants and partners.
For agentic commerce to become sustainable and profitable, we must build infrastructure that delivers genuine trust, transparency and merchant autonomy – because only that way will we achieve outcomes that benefit all.
Road closures, unprecedented traffic volumes, and intense demand for transport turn New Year’s Eve into one of the most complex mobility operations of the year in Dubai. For mobility and ride platforms, the night represents far more than a spike in bookings. It is a citywide stress test that requires weeks of preparation, real-time decision-making, and continuous communication with both riders and drivers.
As Dubai continues to position itself as a global New Year’s destination, companies such as SelfDrive Mobility, Zed, and Bolt say their New Year’s Eve strategies have evolved into highly coordinated operations. The focus has shifted toward predictability, transparency, and service continuity at a time when uncertainty is at its peak.
One of the most immediate challenges riders face on New Year’s Eve is uncertainty. Unexpected roadblocks, diversions, and sudden delays can disrupt even the most carefully planned journeys. For mobility platforms, reducing this uncertainty has become a core operational priority.
SelfDrive Mobility monitors live road and traffic conditions using official RTA data and mapping tools. Based on these inputs, customers receive real-time in-app notifications on the SelfDrive Mobility app about delays, diversions, and recommended pickup locations, helping them plan their journeys more effectively during New Year’s Eve, according to Soham Shah, founder and CEO of SelfDrive Mobility.
By pushing timely updates directly to users, the platform aims to reduce confusion during a night when traffic conditions can shift rapidly across the city.
Image credit: Supplied
Expanding the role of the app beyond bookings
Beyond alerts and notifications, mobility platforms are increasingly expanding the role of their apps to include information services tailored for high-impact events like New Year’s Eve.
SelfDrive Mobility provides users access to OTO Drive, its automotive news and content platform. The platform includes verified vehicle insights, live traffic and event-related updates, and practical guides relevant to city-wide New Year’s celebrations. According to Shah, this information is designed to support informed travel decisions during the festive period.
The company’s objective, he said, is not just to provide rides, but to equip users with contextual information that allows them to anticipate challenges before they arise.
New Year’s Eve in Dubai attracts a large influx of tourists, many of whom may be unfamiliar with the city’s event locations, traffic behavior, and road restrictions. Mobility platforms view this group as a critical user segment that requires additional guidance.
Through the OTO Drive section, users can access curated mobility and travel updates focused on major event areas. This allows tourists to better understand road restrictions, traffic conditions, and alternative routes, helping them navigate New Year’s Eve locations with greater clarity, Shah said.
For visitors attending celebrations in high-density zones, access to clear, location-specific information can mean the difference between a smooth journey and a frustrating experience.
Keeping ETAs accurate amid shifting conditions
Estimated arrival times are another major pressure point on New Year’s Eve, when congestion levels can change minute by minute. Maintaining ETA accuracy requires constant monitoring and rapid adjustments.
SelfDrive Mobility uses real-time tracking systems to monitor journeys and recalibrate ETAs as conditions evolve. This system is supported by 24×7 customer service teams and airport counters that enable ongoing coordination and timely communication with users, Shah said.
By combining live tracking with human support teams, the company aims to keep riders informed even as external conditions continue to change.
Image credit: Supplied
Scaling customer support for peak demand
As demand surges on New Year’s Eve, customer service responsiveness becomes as critical as vehicle availability. Platforms say staffing strategies are adjusted well in advance to manage the spike.
SelfDrive Mobility operates a 24×7 multilingual customer support team and increases staffing levels during peak New Year’s Eve hours. According to Shah, this approach helps maintain response times and ensures consistent service quality during periods of high demand.
The emphasis, the company says, is on sustaining service standards even when booking volumes are at their highest.
For Zed, which works closely with taxi operators, New Year’s Eve preparation starts several weeks before the event.
New Year’s Eve is one of the most demanding periods for urban mobility in Dubai, so preparation focuses on ensuring maximum operational readiness. Zed works closely with taxi operators to confirm that drivers expected to be active have fully functional accounts, working devices, and stable connectivity, with technical and compliance issues resolved in advance, said Abhinav Patwa, executive vice president at Al Ghurair Group and head of Zed.
Alongside technical readiness, Zed introduces targeted driver engagement initiatives designed to encourage availability during peak periods. These include structured peak-hour incentives and engagement programmes aimed at keeping more drivers active when customer demand reaches its highest levels.
Managing demand across celebration hotspots
Demand on New Year’s Eve is not evenly distributed across the city. Areas such as Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, and Dubai Marina experience intense surges, requiring dynamic driver allocation.
Demand during New Year’s Eve tends to concentrate around specific celebration zones. Zed manages this by dynamically responding to demand patterns across the city and encouraging a natural redistribution of drivers toward higher-activity areas, Patwa said.
By aligning driver earnings with demand intensity, the platform helps ensure adequate driver availability in high-volume zones, supporting smoother ride allocation without manual intervention.
While high-level planning begins weeks in advance, Zed says the most detailed operational decisions are made closer to the event itself.
From an external standpoint, Zed typically begins structured planning around three to four weeks ahead, including coordination with taxi partners, internal readiness checks, and high-level planning around driver availability and customer communication, Patwa said.
Operationally, the most detailed planning takes place during the final week, allowing teams to adapt to real-time inputs such as confirmed road closures, event schedules, and evolving demand patterns.
Road closures and diversions are set by regulatory authorities and can change rapidly on New Year’s Eve. While mobility platforms do not control these decisions, adaptability remains essential.
Routes, ETAs, and pickup points are recalibrated in real time to reflect changing access conditions, with clear in-app communication to help customers navigate alternative arrangements where required, Patwa said.
The focus, he added, remains on reducing uncertainty and maintaining a predictable customer experience despite external constraints.
Balancing extreme demand with limited availability
According to Zed, one of the biggest challenges remains the imbalance between extreme demand and limited immediate availability, particularly during post-event dispersal after midnight.
Zed addresses this by offering customers greater flexibility through multiple ride options, including both taxi and premium limo services. Combined with proactive supply activation and transparent ETAs, this approach helps manage customer expectations while maintaining reliability during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Pricing dynamics are another critical factor during New Year’s Eve, when demand significantly outpaces supply. Bolt says its approach is designed to balance fairness for commuters with adequate compensation for drivers.
The pricing surge is managed through a manual cap placed on Bolt’s existing algorithm. This ensures that surge pricing remains fair and representative of the actual disparity between supply and demand, said Vasileios Chatziaslanis, general manager at Bolt. The approach ensures drivers are fairly compensated while navigating roadblocks and detours in busy areas.
Despite customer interest in ride reservations, Bolt does not offer pre-booking or ride reservation options during New Year’s Eve.
According to Chatziaslanis, the exceptionally high demand and uncertainty around supply availability and pickup point access, due to the dynamic nature of roadblocks, make advance reservations impractical during this period.
Bolt advises riders to plan ahead by booking at least 30 minutes prior to their intended departure time. This allows buffer time for unpredictable factors such as supply shortages or road closures that may delay vehicle arrival.
Riders are also encouraged to be mindful of their selected pickup locations and identify the nearest accessible pickup point for drivers. This approach helps ensure smoother pickups for both customers and drivers, Chatziaslanis said.
Supporting drivers on the busiest night of the year
Driver support remains a key focus across platforms during New Year’s Eve. Bolt says it prioritizes fair compensation through surging fares and incentive structures that motivate drivers to remain active despite challenging conditions.
The goal, according to the company, is to recognise the effort required to manage pickups during one of the most demanding nights of the year.
Bolt is already planning improvements for future New Year’s Eve operations. The company plans to set up systemic configurations at high-demand locations in collaboration with the RTA and Dubai Police to make customer pickups easier.
Under this approach, the RTA would provide information on roadblocks and approved pickup locations, while Bolt would configure its technology to prompt users toward the nearest accessible pickup points. The aim is to create a smoother, more seamless pickup experience during future celebrations.
As Dubai’s New Year’s Eve celebrations continue to grow in scale and global appeal, mobility platforms say their role is becoming increasingly strategic. What was once a night defined by travel uncertainty is now being transformed into a carefully managed urban mobility operation, powered by data, coordination, and real-time adaptability.
Dubai authorities have announced extended operating hours for public parks and recreational attractions over the New Year holiday period as the city prepares for large-scale celebrations welcoming 2026.
Dubai Municipality announced that the adjusted schedules will take effect on December 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026, allowing residents and visitors to enjoy outdoor spaces later into the night.
The move comes as the emirate gears up for its annual New Year’s Eve fireworks displays and the first-ever drone show at the Dubai Frame.
Specialised parks and facilities, including Children’s City and Quranic Park, will also operate with adjusted times. Children’s City will be open 9am to 8pm, while Quranic Park’s grounds are scheduled to run 8am to midnight, with its Cave and Glass House attractions open 9am to 8pm.
Some lake and neighbourhood parks, such as Leem Lake Park in Hatta, Al Barsha Pond Park and Umm Suqeim Park, will stay open until 1am on December 31 to coincide with late-night celebrations.
The extended hours are intended to complement Dubai’s broader New Year programme, which includes fireworks at dozens of locations across the emirate, family-oriented festivities and public safety measures coordinated by city authorities.
Local transport and parking arrangements have also been adjusted. The Roads and Transport Authority announced that public parking will be free on January 1, 2026, in most zones, and revised public transport service hours for the holiday period.
