GCC Mobility Market Overview and the State of MaaS

Mobility as a Service — the seamless integration of multiple transport modes, payment systems, and digital services — offers a transformative opportunity. Despite ambitious metro networks, modern bus fleets, and rising digital adoption, challenges remain: fragmented systems, heavy reliance on private vehicles, and complex payment landscapes.

This blog explores the current state of mobility in the GCC based on the UITP MENA Transport Report 2025. Blog highlights the key pain points limiting progress, and examines future-proof solutions. It draws on recent UITP data and real-world examples from Ajman and Saudi Arabia’s SAPTCO to show how cities can build a modern, passenger-focused MaaS ecosystem. 

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region has emerged as one of the fastest-growing transport markets in the world, with GCC countries among the leading in infrastructure investments, driven by rapid urbanisation, population growth, and national diversification agendas.  

Metro projects in Dubai, Riyadh, and Doha are particularly striking in scale and ambition. Riyadh Metro — a $22.5 billion, six-line network stretching over 176 kilometres — is expected to cut daily car trips by nearly 250,000 once fully operational. Doha Metro, launched in 2019 and expanded ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022, has quickly become a backbone of the capital’s mobility, recording millions of trips during the tournament and setting a precedent for ridership growth. Dubai Metro, already the world’s longest fully automated metro, carried over 370 million riders in 2023, a 16% increase from the previous year, demonstrating both its maturity and continuing appeal. 

Bus modernisation is also reshaping the landscape. Saudi Arabia’s SAPTCO fleet expansion, Qatar’s world-leading e-bus depot in Lusail, and Oman’s plans for Muscat Metro supported by electric buses highlight the shift toward sustainable modes. Micromobility is gaining traction as well, with e-scooters and bike-sharing schemes appearing in urban centres like Dubai and Doha to serve first- and last-mile needs. 

MENA countries generally exhibit moderate car ownership rates along with moderate access to public transport. This positioning suggests a fertile environment for expanding public transport infrastructure to meet the needs of growing urban populations. Expanding public transport networks could enhance accessibility, reduce congestion, and promote environmental sustainability in these rapidly developing urban centres.  

• Average MENA share of people with convenient access to public transport – 36.46%  

• Average MENA car ownership – 243.6 cars per 1000 people  

• Average global share of people with convenient access to public transport – 55.25%  
• Average global car ownership – 570.8 cars per 1000 people 

Dubai and Doha stand out as exceptions. Dubai Metro’s integration with buses, trams, and water transport has helped push public transport’s modal share above 18% of daily trips by 2023. Doha saw similar spikes during the World Cup, with public transport moving over 2.5 million passengers per day at peak demand. In contrast, most other GCC cities — from Jeddah to Muscat — record single-digit public transport shares, leaving the bulk of trips dominated by private cars or informal services. 

Key pain points in GCC mobility and the path to solutions 

GCC region faces several persistent obstacles on its path toward fully integrated Mobility as a Service . These challenges are not unique to the region, but they are accentuated by the GCC’s demographic realities, urban design, and legacy infrastructure. Below, we explore the main pain points and outline practical solutions that can move the region closer to seamless, inclusive, and sustainable mobility.   

Challenge: Dominance of cash and fragmented payment methods 

Cash continues to dominate transactions in certain GCC cities, particularly on buses and intercity services. The UITP report highlights that up to 60% of bus fares in smaller Gulf cities are still paid in cash, even as bank card and mobile wallet penetration grows. This creates friction for operators — who face higher handling costs and weaker revenue transparency — and for passengers, who must often queue or rely on exact change. 

Adding complexity, fare systems are fragmented. A resident may need a Nol card in Dubai, a Hafilat card in Abu Dhabi, and cash or QR tickets in Sharjah. In Saudi Arabia, different cities operate their own fare systems without interoperability. For visitors, seasonal workers, or pilgrims, this patchwork makes access to transport unnecessarily difficult. 

Solution: Hybrid AFC  

Hybrid AFC (Automated Fare Collection) integrates multiple technologies — EMV bank cards, NFC-enabled phones, QR codes, mobile wallets, and traditional transport cards — into a single acceptance environment, allowing passengers to pay however they prefer, while operators manage everything on one platform. 

The benefits are: 

• Inclusivity — occasional riders, tourists, and cash-reliant groups can still board without barriers. 

• Data integrity — all transactions flow into a centralised system, giving operators a full view of usage. 

• Cost efficiency — reduced reliance on cash handling and closed-loop cards lowers long-term costs. 

Challenge: Reliance on private vehicles 

Car dependency remains a defining feature of mobility across the GCC. While ownership rates in the wider MENA region average around 244 vehicles per 1,000 people — lower than in many OECD countries — access to public transport is also limited, with only 36% of people having convenient access, compared to a global average of 55%. This combination creates a natural reliance on private cars for daily mobility. 

Public transport’s mode share remains below 10% in most GCC cities — except for Dubai and Doha, which have invested heavily in metro and integrated bus systems. This not only worsens congestion and emissions but also undermines investments in transit networks, which require consistent ridership to be financially sustainable. 

Solution: Build trust through reliability and integration 
Shifting behaviour requires public transport to compete with the car on convenience and reliability. MaaS platforms can support this by: 

• Journey planners that combine metro, bus, and micro-mobility into one seamless trip. 

• Fare caps and smart segmentation, ensuring riders always pay the lowest possible fare, regardless of transfers. 

• Integration of ride-hailing and shared mobility, bridging first- and last-mile gaps. 

Dubai’s experience is instructive: with strong integration and service quality, public transport share rose from 6% in 2006 to nearly 18% by 2023. Replicating this across GCC cities is possible with MaaS-driven platforms. 

Challenge: fragmentation across emirates and cities 

Digitalisation is advancing in parallel. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has pioneered smart ticketing, launching Nol cards over a decade ago and now piloting open-loop contactless payments. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are actively exploring account-based ticketing (ABT), aligning with their national smart city programmes. But across much of the region, fare systems remain fragmented — with each emirate, city, or operator running its own cards and apps, limiting cross-city interoperability. 

The GCC’s demographic diversity magnifies the problem of fragmented systems. Saudi Arabia alone welcomes over 13 million pilgrims annually for Hajj and Umrah. The UAE hosts more than 24 million international visitors per year, many of whom travel across emirates. Expecting these groups to download multiple apps or purchase different transport cards is unrealistic. 

Solution: Interoperable Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) 
ABT allows fares to be linked to a passenger’s account rather than a physical card. Passengers can simply tap a bank card, phone, or wearable device, while operators manage rules in a shared back-office. 

Ajman offers a practical example. Despite being one of the UAE’s smaller emirates, Ajman modernised its public transport by partnering with O-CITY to implement open-loop, contactless fare collection across buses and taxis. Riders can now pay with EMV cards, mobile wallets, or QR codes, eliminating the need for cash or dedicated cards. This step forward demonstrates how even smaller networks can achieve world-class convenience through ABT. 

Challenge: Limited scalability of fare and account management 

Legacy infrastructure across the GCC were often built for a single operator or city, not for the multimodal, multi-operator ecosystems MaaS requires today. As demand grows — and as new services like e-scooters, BRT, and ride-hailing are added — these systems struggle to scale. 

Solution: Centralised fare management platforms 

A cloud-based, centralised platform enables authorities to: 

• Manage fare rules and products across multiple operators. 

• Support flexible pricing (daily caps, multimodal passes, concessions). 

• Scale seamlessly as new cities and modes join. 

Future-proof solutions for integrated mobility 

A future-proof mobility system is one that evolves with passenger needs and technology. In the GCC context, this means four core qualities: 

• Interoperable: one system spanning cities, operators, and transport modes. 

• Hybrid: accepting both digital payments (EMV cards, mobile wallets, QR codes) and traditional cash during the transition period. 

• Account-based (ABT): trips linked to a passenger account rather than a single card or device, enabling flexibility and scalability. 

• Hardware-agnostic: compatible with multiple validators and devices, reducing costs and easing expansion. 

These principles are already in action in the region. 

Ajman Transport Authority partnered with O-CITY to implement open-loop payments on buses and taxis. Residents and visitors can pay with EMV bank cards, Apple Pay, wearables, or QR codes, all supported by a dedicated app for trip planning, real-time tracking, and ticketing. In 2023, Ajman’s public transport network has over 2.5 million registered users, with growing adoption of digital payments. During high-demand periods such as Eid Al-Adha 2025, the system handled over 55,000 bus trips, illustrating both scale and reliability. This hybrid, inclusive model demonstrates how smaller cities can modernise quickly while serving a diverse passenger base. 

SAPTCO (Saudi Arabia) illustrates the scalability of these solutions. Its ABT platform spans eight cities, integrating buses and validators. Since mid-2023, the system has processed more than 11.7 million fare transactions, including 3.68 million contactless EMV payments. QR ticketing remains available for those without bank cards or smartphones, ensuring inclusivity for tourists, pilgrims, and occasional riders. 

Both deployments highlight the tangible benefits of future-proof solutions: 

• Operational efficiency: automated fare collection, reduced cash handling, and streamlined account management. 

• Passenger convenience: frictionless, flexible, and transparent payment options. 

• Inclusivity: access for non-residents, seasonal visitors, and tourists via multiple digital and offline channels. 

• Scalability: seamless integration with new cities, operators, and mobility modes such as ride-hailing or micro-mobility. 

By adopting hybrid AFC, interoperable ABT, and centralised cloud-based platforms, GCC authorities can build a seamless, fully integrated MaaS ecosystem. Ajman demonstrates how smaller networks can modernise efficiently, while SAPTCO shows national-scale deployment is possible — offering lessons for other GCC cities and beyond. 

Conclusion 

The GCC stands at a pivotal moment in urban mobility. Substantial metro networks, expanding bus fleets, and rising digital adoption have laid the groundwork for a connected, user-focused transport ecosystem. Cities can create a frictionless mobility experience that serves residents, tourists, and pilgrims alike. Hybrid fare collection, open-loop payments, interoperable ABT, and scalable cloud platforms enable authorities to improve operational efficiency, enhance passenger satisfaction, and reduce reliance on private vehicles. 

The future of mobility in the GCC is digital, integrated, and passenger-focused — and the time to act is now. Learn how O-CITY can help your city transform public transport into a modern, connected, and efficient digital transport ecosystem.