Encouraging the startup culture enhances their performance, contributes to their success, strengthens their local presence, and supports their regional and global expansion, and the one sector which has stood out is mobility.
The UAE has established an innovative, modern, and integrated transport ecosystem, supported by world-class infrastructure and an extensive network of roads, bridges, metro, and tram systems, as well as contributions from entrepreneurs.
The infrastructure has been further enhanced by the introduction of individual smart mobility solutions, including electric scooters and bicycles.
These mobility solutions not only enable community members to reach their destinations economically and more quickly, but they are also efficient, easy-to-use, and environmentally friendly. They connect public transport with commercial, retail, service, residential, and leisure centres.
The UAE has encouraged startups to invest in this modern transport ecosystem by preparing the necessary infrastructure and establishing regulations and requirements that ensure safe usage. Entrepreneurs compete to offer their services in this field, benefiting from an ideal business environment that embraces local and international startups.
Smart mobility solutions, including scooters and bicycles, have seen widespread adoption across various segments of society with companies like Careem, Uber, Tier, Lime, FENIX, Skurrt, Arnab, and several other startups benefiting from the ecosystem.
UAE mobility success stories
Many of these companies have achieved local and global success after launching in the UAE or entering the UAE market as a gateway for regional expansion.
One of the most notable examples is Careem, a startup founded in Dubai in 2012, specialising in delivery services through its website and mobile applications. It is one of the Middle East’s most prominent startup success stories and a testament to Dubai’s status as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Within a few years, Careem has become a major success story, culminating in Uber’s official acquisition of the company in 2019 for US$3.1 billion.
Another success story is the UAE-based startup Arnab, the first micro-mobility company to integrate multimodal transport systems. Targeting the UAE and the MENA region, its operations align with smart city visions of enhanced connectivity by providing sustainable and affordable transport solutions.
Arnab Mobility operates as an on-demand shared platform for light electric vehicles, including e-scooters and e-bikes. It enables customers to reach their destinations using scooters and make seamless payments via their smartphones.
Global company FENIX launched its shared electric bike rental service in the UAE in late 2021. Its growing portfolio of mobility offerings now includes shared e-scooters, alongside the region’s first private e-scooter subscription service, My FENIX.
Tier is among the world’s pioneering companies in using swappable battery technology. This innovative method eliminates the need to transport scooters to warehouses daily for charging, as batteries can instead be replaced on-site by a local team.
E-scooters roll into urban transit
Abu Dhabi started issuing licenses for app-based scooter rental operations in 2019, alongside intensified public awareness campaigns promoting the safe use of bicycles and electric scooters. By 2023, the number of designated areas approved for riding and renting scooters in the capital reached eight, including Al Reem Island, Masdar City, Yas Island, the Corniche, Khalifa City, and areas within Abu Dhabi Island along Hamdan Street, Falah Street, Sheikhbout Street, and Al Raha Beach.
In Dubai, the electric scooter project was launched on a pilot basis in 2020, followed by the official operation of the first phase in 2022 across 10 areas of the emirate and along designated cycling tracks. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) also launched an online platform on its website, allowing the public to obtain free permits to use electric scooters in designated areas and streets.
RTA statistics showed that the number of shared e-scooter trips doubled in 2022 to more than one million trips, compared to approximately 500,000 trips in 2021. The authority has also provided high-quality e-scooter tracks built to the highest safety standards, connecting major attractions with high-demand locations.
Earlier this year, in a first-of-its-kind move, RTA launched a smart assessment system to evaluate the condition of cycling and e-scooter tracks, using the latest smart and advanced technologies.
Bicycles have become one of Dubai’s most important individual mobility options.
