90% of Dubai, Sharjah commuters hit by traffic jams, new study finds

Dubai: Traffic congestion continues to frustrate motorists across the country, especially in Dubai and Sharjah, where a new study reveals that 91 per cent and 90 per cent of residents, respectively, typically experience traffic jams.

The study, commissioned jointly by RoadSafetyUAE and Al Wathba Insurance, surveyed a representative UAE sample of 1,021 respondents this month. It aimed to understand public perception of the country’s traffic situation.

The study showed that 86 per cent of respondents across the UAE report facing traffic congestion
“The highest values we see in Dubai with 91 per cent and Sharjah with 90 per cent,” the study said.
In addition, 80 per cent of respondents said traffic had worsened compared to 2024, with 85 per cent in Dubai noticing an increase.

According to Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority data, the number of vehicles on Dubai’s roads during daytime hours reached 3.5 million in 2024, reflecting a 10 per cent increase in registered vehicles over the past two years.

The top three types of trips where congestion is observed are:

Afternoon work commutes,

Morning work commutes,

Morning school drop-offs.

Other trips affected include weekend outings, afternoon school pickups and errands like going to supermarket and malls. Abu Dhabi ranked highest in congestion across three of these travel types, with Dubai leading in two.

“We want to provide input to the concerned authorities and stakeholders to understand the public perception about traffic congestion, how they see the reasons for it and on which areas they would focus to improve the situation,” Thomas Edelmann, Founder and Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE, said.
“We wanted to elevate the discussion related to road traffic congestion from anecdotal evidence to a fact-based and well researched approach,” said Muralikrishnan Raman, Chief Financial Officer, Al Wathba Insurance.

When asked about the causes of traffic congestion, respondents said:

Too many vehicles on the road (65 per cent),

All offices start around the same time (54 per cent),

All school start around the same time (48 per cent),

Heavy dependence on private cars (45 per cent).

Additional causes include poor driving behaviour, low vehicle occupancy, limited work-from-home flexibility, and inadequate infrastructure to handle current traffic volumes, limited availability of public transportation and lack of infrastructure for alternative transport options like walking and biking.

Respondents were also asked to suggest solutions. An overwhelming 83 per cent collectively called for better public transportation options.
The top 5 responses were:

Promote working from home,

Expand, improve metro/train services,

Expand road capacity, improve design and intersections,

Enhance public bus transportation,
Encourage better driving behaviour to reduce traffic.