Dubai Taxi Giants Unite: DTC and Kabi Forge Alliance for Smarter Rides

Malaz Madani

Last updated 25-09-2025

3 min

Dubai Taxi Company and Kabi by Al Ghurair join forces under one digital platform.

The partnership integrates 9,880 taxis with apps, promising shorter waiting times.

Dubai aims to shift 80% of taxi trips to e-hailing for smart mobility.

The collaboration balances global partners with local innovation and enhances customer service.

Dubai's transport evolution promises faster, more reliable rides for everyone.

Dubai’s taxi scene is getting a serious shake-up. Two of the city’s biggest operators, Dubai Taxi Company (DTC) and Kabi by Al Ghurair, have struck an alliance that will bring their fleets under the same digital roof. The move, which also involves ride-hailing platforms Bolt and homegrown player Zed, is set to speed up waiting times and make it easier to grab a cab in a city where demand just keeps climbing.

The agreement, signed by DTC CEO Mansoor Rahma Alfalasi and Kabi chief Badr Al Ghurair, will see DTC’s 6,200 vehicles and Kabi’s 3,680 cars integrated into the apps. And there’s more to come: each new taxi added down the line will automatically be included, meaning availability keeps growing without a bit of a faff with onboarding. Spot on for passengers who’ve grown tired of long waits during peak hours.

Now, Dubai has been loud and clear about where it wants to go with transport. The government’s target is simple: shift 80% of taxi trips to e-hailing under its smart mobility programme. This tie-up fits like glove with that vision. Alfalasi said the deal shows DTC’s commitment to using tech to give customers a smoother experience, pointing out that the sector already saw a 7% jump in trips in the first half of 2025 compared with the same stretch in 2024. That’s no small number.

His counterpart, Al Ghurair, called the partnership a “pivotal step” in reshaping the ride-hailing space, stressing that tying up with Zed helps keep part of the sector distinctly Emirati. And honestly, I reckon that’s a clever way to balance global partners with local innovation.

On the flip side, anyone who’s used taxis in the city knows service consistency can be a bit of a wild card. Will this integration fix that? Well… I mean, improved technology certainly helps, but customer service is usually down to people behind the wheel. One thing’s for sure: having two heavyweights pulling in the same direction is better than leaving the market too fragmented.

What struck me most reading about this was just how much transport in Dubai has evolved since I first visited over a decade ago. Back then, flagging a cab outside the airport felt like winning a small lottery. Today, smart mobility is shaping up to make such hassles rare, and if this deal pans out, visitors and residents alike should be chuffed to bits with faster, more reliable rides.

For entrepreneurs following along here on Arageek, there’s a wider lesson. Strategic partnerships—especially between established players who could otherwise see each other as rivals—often build stronger, more sustainable ecosystems. And in a region like the UAE, where governments set ambitious tech targets, aligning with that vision can mean the difference between leading the pack or being left behind.

Dubai may not have solved every traffic headache yet, but this step is definately a sign of where things are heading: more digital, more efficient, and maybe even a little more human-friendly.

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