RTA’s latest expansion brings e-bike delivery to 11 locations across Dubai, supporting safer mobility, more efficient last-mile services and the emirate’s sustainability goals
Dubai, UAE: The way goods move through Dubai is changing, one delivery at a time.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has expanded its e-bike delivery service to seven additional locations across the emirate following the successful pilot programme launched in February. The new areas include Al Twar 1, Al Twar 2, Al Qusais 1, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai Media City, Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) and Dubai Marina. They join the four original pilot areas of Al Karama, Al Hamriya, Umm Hurair and Al Mankhool, taking the total number of locations covered by the programme to 11.
While the move may appear to be a relatively small change in Dubai’s vast transport network, it reflects a much wider shift in how the emirate is approaching last-mile delivery. As online ordering, food delivery and on-demand retail continue to become part of everyday life, the final few kilometres of a delivery have become increasingly important to the city’s transport and logistics system. For Dubai, the challenge is no longer simply about getting a product from one place to another. It is about doing so safely, efficiently and with less pressure on roads and the environment.
From pilot to wider rollout
The expansion follows encouraging results from RTA’s initial trial. Customer satisfaction during the pilot reached approximately 99%, while more than 90% of delivery riders reported satisfaction with the service. RTA also worked with its private-sector partners to identify and address operational challenges before moving ahead with the wider rollout.
| Key indicator | Figure |
| New locations added | 7 |
| Total locations covered | 11 |
| Original pilot locations | 4 |
| Customer satisfaction | Approx. 99% |
| Rider satisfaction | More than 90% |
| Cycling network in Dubai | 636 km in 2025 |
| Cycling trips in 2025 | 57.3 million |
| Logistics strategy emissions target | 30% reduction |
These figures offer an early indication that the programme has been positively received by both customers and riders. More importantly, the pilot has given RTA an opportunity to test how e-bikes can operate within Dubai’s existing delivery ecosystem before expanding the service. The choice of the new locations was also based on practical considerations. RTA assessed factors including the availability of cycling infrastructure, the character of each neighbourhood, the concentration of restaurants and retail outlets, business demand and existing use of bicycles and other soft mobility options.
That approach highlights an important point. E-bikes are not being positioned as a replacement for every delivery vehicle in Dubai. Their greatest potential is in areas where short distances, concentrated demand and suitable infrastructure make them a practical choice.
Why last-mile delivery matters
For consumers, the last mile may simply mean waiting for an order to arrive. For businesses and transport planners, it is much more complicated. A delivery rider may have to navigate traffic, find parking, travel short distances between multiple locations and meet increasingly tight delivery times. Multiply those individual journeys across thousands of daily deliveries and the impact on a city’s roads, emissions and transport efficiency becomes significant.
This is why last-mile logistics has become an increasingly important part of Dubai’s wider mobility strategy. The e-bike initiative forms part of the Commercial and Logistics Land Transport Strategy 2030 and the First and Last-Mile Strategy, which seek to improve the efficiency and sustainability of commercial transport across the emirate.
RTA’s Commercial and Logistics Land Transport Strategy 2030 includes a target to increase the sector’s direct economic contribution to AED 16.8 billion. It also targets a 75% increase in technology adoption in infrastructure, a 30% reduction in carbon emissions and a 10% improvement in operational efficiency. The e-bike programme supports several of these priorities at street level.
A practical role for cleaner mobility
An e-bike is not designed to replace a truck moving goods between warehouses or a vehicle transporting large commercial shipments across the emirate. Its value lies elsewhere. For a restaurant order travelling a few kilometres through a busy neighbourhood, an e-bike can offer a more practical alternative. It requires less space, does not produce direct tailpipe emissions during operation and can potentially reduce some of the parking and congestion challenges associated with short-distance deliveries.
That makes the concept particularly relevant in high-density areas such as Dubai Marina and JLT, where residential communities, restaurants, retail outlets and offices operate alongside one another. Dubai Media City presents another suitable environment, with a concentration of businesses and commercial activity. Areas such as Al Twar and Al Qusais combine established residential and commercial communities, creating further opportunities for short-distance deliveries.
The idea is simple: use the right vehicle for the right journey.
The future of sustainable logistics is unlikely to depend on one form of transport replacing another completely. Instead, it will increasingly involve different mobility options working together according to distance, location, demand and infrastructure.
Infrastructure is becoming a critical part of the equation
The expansion of e-bike delivery comes as Dubai continues to invest in cycling infrastructure. RTA reported that Dubai’s cycling network reached 636 kilometres in 2025, compared with 560 kilometres at the end of 2024. Cycling trips also increased from 46.6 million in 2024 to 57.3 million in 2025, representing a 23.5% rise.
In March 2026, RTA announced the completion of 13 cycling tracks as part of a wider programme covering 15 tracks with a combined length of 162 kilometres. These developments create a stronger foundation for alternative mobility. An e-bike delivery programme can only work effectively when riders have suitable routes and a safe operating environment. Expanding the number of bikes without developing the infrastructure around them would do little to address the underlying transport challenges.
Dubai’s longer-term plans are therefore significant. The emirate’s cycling master plan aims to expand the cycling network towards 1,000 kilometres by 2030, creating stronger links between residential, commercial and recreational areas. For delivery companies, that network can potentially provide new opportunities to move goods through neighbourhoods more efficiently. For the city, it creates another layer within an increasingly diverse mobility system.
Safety remains central
Sustainability is an important part of the e-bike story, but safety is equally critical. Dubai’s delivery sector has grown rapidly, bringing more riders onto the emirate’s roads. As this activity increases, clear rules and consistent enforcement become essential. RTA has established requirements covering delivery operations, licensing and safety standards. The authority has also updated regulations for delivery companies and strengthened monitoring and compliance measures.
This is particularly important because a successful e-bike network needs more than vehicles and demand. Riders need clear operating procedures, appropriate infrastructure and safety standards. Businesses need to understand their responsibilities and customers need confidence that deliveries can be made efficiently without creating additional risks on the road. The pilot phase has allowed RTA to address these operational questions before expanding the service. That measured approach could prove important as the programme grows.
Putting riders at the centre
There is also a human side to Dubai’s delivery transformation. Behind every order is a rider travelling through the city, often under strict delivery timelines and demanding road and weather conditions. For that reason, rider satisfaction is an important measure of the programme’s success.
The fact that more than 90% of riders involved in the pilot expressed satisfaction provides an encouraging starting point. However, continued attention to rider safety, route planning, workload, vehicle maintenance and operating conditions will remain important as the network expands. A sustainable delivery system should not only reduce environmental impact. It should also create a safer and more practical working environment for the people operating it. That human element will become increasingly important as Dubai’s delivery economy continues to expand.
What it means for businesses
Restaurants and retailers are likely to be among the most direct beneficiaries of a more structured e-bike delivery network. Delivery is an operational expense, with fuel, vehicle maintenance, parking, traffic and travel time all influencing the cost of fulfilling an order. In areas where e-bikes are suitable, businesses may be able to improve the efficiency of shorter journeys while reducing some of the logistical difficulties associated with conventional vehicles.
There is also a growing connection between sustainability and customer expectations. Consumers are increasingly interested in how businesses operate, including how products reach them. For restaurants and retailers, adopting lower-emission delivery options where practical can turn sustainability from a broad corporate objective into something visible in everyday operations. That makes the e-bike programme relevant not only to transport planners but also to Dubai’s wider business community.
A small vehicle with a bigger role to play
The expansion from four pilot locations to 11 areas marks an important next step for Dubai’s e-bike delivery programme. It does not mean that conventional delivery vehicles are disappearing. Nor does it suggest that e-bikes can solve every challenge associated with urban logistics. What it does demonstrate is a willingness to test a different approach and expand it when the results support further development. The programme brings together several priorities that are increasingly important to Dubai’s future: road safety, efficient logistics, cleaner mobility and sustainable urban growth.
It also fits into a much larger transformation taking place across the emirate’s transport system. As Dubai continues to expand its cycling infrastructure, increase the use of alternative mobility and pursue its 2030 logistics targets, the role of e-bikes could gradually extend beyond a limited pilot into a more established part of last-mile delivery. The significance of the initiative may ultimately be found in its simplicity.
A delivery does not always need a large vehicle. A short journey does not always need to add another car or van to a busy road. Where infrastructure, distance and demand align, a two-wheeled electric vehicle can provide a practical alternative. For a city that continues to grow as a global centre for business, tourism, retail and logistics, those small changes can add up. Dubai’s latest e-bike expansion is therefore about more than seven new locations. It is another step towards a delivery network designed to move with the city rather than simply move through it.
