Develop an App Like RTA Dubai

Dubai is a city that is digitally transforming and moving towards a smart city at the speed of fire. The city has various well-known smart apps that are setting examples for others, and RTA Dubai is one of such apps.

RTA Dubai is the app that keeps the traffic and transport of the city moving by offering an excellent on-road experience to the citizens. It has inspired others to develop an app like RTA Dubai to offer a one-stop transport solution to the users.

Are you eager to know how the RTA Dubai can be developed?

Well, you are at the right place, learn everything from development steps to app monetization strategies and more with this blog.

Let’s start reading this blog and continue till the end to gain complete knowledge.

What is the RTA Dubai App?

RTA Dubai is one of the most popular apps, an award-winning app of the UAE, which the government organisation Road and Transport Authority Dubai develops. This app was built to simplify and offer the best road and transport facilities to the citizens of Dubai and the Emirates through an app.

Since the government of the UAE is in support of a smart mobile-first solution, this application is an excellent step towards bringing digital transformation and growth.

The RTA Dubai reported more than 10 million downloads as it helps the citizens and visitors of the UAE to have a hassle-free experience on the road. You can also make an app like RTA Dubai to contribute to the aim of improving transportation services in the UAE.

This robust transportation app offers excellent features that provide a great experience to its users. The RTA Dubai app was awarded as the Best Government Service via Mobile Phone worldwide under the Transport & Infrastructure sector in the year 2017.

The RTA Dubai app offers excellent features to its valuable users, which include finding a parking area, online taxi booking, finding out nearby metro or bus stations, creating a Salik account, and more.

Additionally, the app also offers the feature that allows its users to report any violation, service centre access, and the Mahboub chatbot. Thus, all in all, the RTA Dubai app presents all the required information and useful services which are related to Dubai’s transportation industry.

Market Overview of Taxi Apps in the UAE

Before delving further into this article, we will give you an overview of the Taxi apps in the UAE, and also look into the numbers of the RTA Dubai app. This will help you to understand the importance of this app in the UAE and validate the idea of creating an app like RTA Dubai.

First, we will tell you about the online taxi app market of the UAE, which has witnessed significant growth in recent times. In the year 2023, the online taxi app market of the UAE was valued at $324.14 million.

Now, we look into some of the interesting statistics of the RTA Dubai app. This app has seen a drastic growth in the UAE market. From the year 2023, the RTA Dubai app has grown by 16% in the year 2024, and it has achieved AED4.427 billion in just one year.

In the year 2024, the total number of transactions reached 679.6 million across multiple digital channels. Among the total number of transactions, the RTA Dubai reported 13.4 million transactions.

Furthermore, the RTA Dubai app was downloaded 18% more times in the year 2024 as compared to the year 2023. The app has witnessed 3.742 million downloads.

The number of registered users of this app has witnessed a boost of 27.5% in the year 2024 from the year 2023. So, in the year 2024, the number of registered users was 1.94 million.

Furthermore, it is projected that by 2029, the online taxi app market will be valued at $415.07 million. So, the value of the online taxi app market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.25%.

Why Develop an App Like RTA Dubai?

If you invest in the development of an app like RTA Dubai, it will benefit your business, and you can also offer excellent service to the people. With this app, you can enhance user satisfaction and contribute to building a smart city.

Let’s see why you should create an app like RTA Dubai.

♦ To Offer Convenience

The RTA Dubai app was established with the idea of offering a centralized service from which everything related to traffic and transportation can be managed by users.

So, when you build an app like RTA Dubai, you can offer your users to book taxis, find a parking spot, manage a Salik account, and others just from one place.

♦ To Save Time

The RTA Dubai app offers a consolidated number of services from the app, for which there are other apps. But with this app, you can eliminate the need to download different kinds of apps.

When you create an app like RTA Dubai, you can save a lot of time for users, which they may waste while jumping from one app to another.

♦ Smarter Transportation

The RTA Dubai is a smart app that offers multiple features of traffic and transportation, which we all know. With an app similar to RTA Dubai, you can also offer multiple features, which include real-time traffic updates, route planning, access to public transportation, and whatnot.

This will offer users a more efficient and seamless travel experience.

♦ Drive Better Revenue

The RTA Dubai has included multiple ways within its app that help it drive excellent revenue for its business. When you develop an app like RTA Dubai, include monetization features like in-app purchase, subscription plan, sponsored ads, business collaboration, and more.

All these will help you drive revenue from your app.

Key Features of a Taxi App Like RTA Dubai

Before you delve into getting the answer on how to develop a mobile app in Dubai similar to RTA Dubai, knowing about its features will be helpful. This is a smart and unique transportation app that has some interesting sets of features that offer hassle-free on-road service to the users.

We have listed a few of the key features of the RTA Dubai app below for your understanding.

1) Hassle-Free Login or Sign Up

The app you will be developing, similar to the RTA Dubai, must offer seamless login and sign-up features to its users. By seamless, we mean there must be a different, simple way that allows users to create their profile in the app easily.

The app can be connected with social media or email to create a profile, or users can log in to the app through their mobile number.

2) Smart and Centralised Dashboard

The RTA Dubai app is a centralised hub where users can access multiple services related to traffic and transportation. So, if you are developing an app like RTA Dubai, you must remember to create a smart and centralised dashboard for your app.

This will help your users to avail of different services with just a few clicks without leaving the app.

3) Feature to Collect Vehicle & Fines

The RTA Dubai app has a feature that makes it easy for users to pay their vehicle fines. So, your app, like RTA Dubai, must have these features, which will help them to easily enter their vehicle number and view challans or any other vehicle fines.

Moreover, the fines can be paid via the app conveniently with different payment modes like Apple Pay, cards, etc.

4) Smart Real-time Chat

RTA Dubai is the app that has integrated an AI-powered support assistant. The app you will be developing should have this feature, which will allow users to get instant responses to their queries related to road and transport.

Using this AI-powered chat feature, users can report any travel inconvenience they experienced during their road journey.

5) Parking Space Finder

Using the RTA Dubai app, users or travellers can access the advanced feature of the parking space finder to get an available dedicated parking space. You must consider this excellent smart feature while creating an app like RTA Dubai.

This will help your users to get available parking spaces anywhere with an in-app map, and can also securely pay for them online.

6) Taxi Booking Solution

Using the RTA Dubai app, users can access on-demand taxi booking services within the app. This actually ends the need for other dedicated taxi booking apps to get a ride. If you are creating a similar app, then you must consider the features to add.

So, the users of your app can book their taxi, reach their destination on time, and even pay the fare.

Steps to Build an App Like RTA Dubai

You have got the answer to the what and why of the RTA Dubai app development; now it’s time to explore the how of the same. Whether you build an app like RTA Dubai by yourself or hire a mobile app development company in Dubai, the whole process will be the same.

We have shared the strategic steps to make an app like RTA Dubai below. Let’s take a look.

Step 1: Define Goals

The first step to developing a taxi app similar to RTA Dubai is to define your business goals. By doing your study, you can understand the scope and various other objectives of your app.

This will help you to understand what you want to achieve from your app, like RTA Dubai, and offer the benefits to the app users.

Step 2: Carry out Market Research

After defining the goal, you must do in-depth market research around the RTA Dubai app. As part of your research, you have to study the competitors’ apps and the RTA Dubai as well.

This will help you to understand the flaws of the competitor’s app that your app can address. Also, try to meet audience demand by knowing their likes and interests

Step 3: UI/UX Design

Since you will be developing a centralised app like RTA Dubai that offers multiple services to its users from a single app, you have to design it carefully. Start by creating a prototype of the app using a wireframe.

Next, design an attractive user interface (UI) of your app that grabs the attention of users and offers an ultimate user experience (UX).

Step 4: Develop an MVP of the App

Develop an MVP or minimum viable product of an app like RTA Dubai before developing the actual app. When you develop an MVP of the app, it will help you identify the bugs and user preferences for your app.

This will help you develop a more effective final product that will offer your users the best experience.

Step 5: Develop the Final Product

Now, start developing a taxi booking app similar to the RTA Dubai after the success of the MPV of the same app. Integrate all the required features of the app, like RTA Dubai, into your app that match the original app.

Choose the correct technology for your app that helps your app run better on both Android and iOS platforms.

Step 6: Test and Launch Your App

After you successfully build a parking app in Dubai similar to the RTA Dubai, it’s time to test it. You should not launch your app without proper testing. Testing will help to identify bugs in your app and other issues that need to be fixed before launching.

Now that you have tested your app, finally launch it to different app download platforms like Google Play for audience use.

Step 7: Support and Maintenance

Your work doesn’t end with developing and launching the app; you must keep working to maintain the app in a stable position.

You should keep track of the app and update it regularly with the latest security patch to protect the app from any threats. To maintain the optimum performance of the app, like RTA Dubai, maintenance is important.

Cost to Develop an App Like RTA Dubai

So, now that you know the whole step-by-step process of developing an app like RTA Dubai, you must know how much it can cost you. Knowing the cost will help you set your budget to develop an app like RTA.

Thus, to build an app like RTA Dubai, it will cost you between $20,000 and $150,000 or even more. Various factors affect the development cost of an app like RTA Dubai, which include complexity, features to be included, choice of technology, and more. We will discuss them for you as well.

If you are interested in building an app like RTA Dubai with basic functions and technologies, then it may cost you $20,000 or less. However, if you are planning to develop a full-stack app like RTA Dubai with advanced technology and features, then it will cost you $150,000 and even more.

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Factors Affecting the Cost to Develop an App Like RTA Dubai

In the previous section, we told you several reasons that affect the cost of developing an app like RTA Dubai. Now we are going to share a few of those factors with you in this section.

Let’s look into the factors we have mentioned below.

• Choice of Platform

First comes the choice of platform among the different factors affecting the development cost of the RTA Dubai app. There are two types of platforms: native and cross-platform. The former is either iOS or Android; the latter is for both at the same time.

So, you have to decide which platform you want to develop your app on. Native app development can cost you more, but it offers superior performance of your app because of the separate development process.

Cross-platform app development is a cost-effective option, but it may come with limited features for your app and affect its performance.

• Choice of Tech Stack

Your choice of technology to develop an app like RTA Dubai is a crucial factor that decides its cost. There are two types of tech stack available for your app: one is essential and the other is cutting-edge.

It will be your choice, and depending on which one, the cost of app development will be decided. If you want to develop a basic version of the RTA Dubai app under your budget, then you have to use the common framework.

On the other hand, if you want to develop a full-stack app, you have to integrate advanced technologies like AI, AR/VR for route optimization, and more complex technologies that can burn your pocket.

• Complexity of Features

The complexity of the features is also the reason that determines the cost of building an app like RTA Dubai. There are two versions of the feature, one is simpler and the other is the complex or advanced features.

The number of features you want in your app and their complexity decide the time of development, which ultimately affects the cost. If your app doesn’t consist of many features, only some basic ones, then it will not take much time, so that will not cost you much.

You can start by adding the core features to your app, like trip planning and fare estimation, and then add more features gradually with every update.

• Location of the Development Team

The location of the developer team decides the cost of creating an app like RTA Dubai. There are two types of location for a developer team or an app development company: offshore and onshore.

The team or company located within the country is onshore, and the offshore development team is located in another country. The onshore app development can be costly as they charge higher, but you may have to compromise on the app’s quality.

On the other hand, offshore app development can allow you to save a lot of money since they charge less and also offer you an optimum quality app.

How Does an App Like RTA Dubai Make Money?

So, you have successfully developed an app like RTA Dubai following the strategic steps mentioned above. The next thing you must think about is that the app must help you earn good revenue for your business.

So, you must implement the smart monetization strategies that help your app, like RTA Dubai, to make money for you.

Here are a few app monetization strategies we have mentioned below that will help you earn revenue from your app, like RTA Dubai.

➢ Subscription Fees

Your app must be able to cater to different classes of users and also help your business to earn revenue. Keeping that in mind, you can offer a subscription plan monthly and yearly basis to offer additional perks.

This will offer a steady income for your business and offer extra rewards to your users.

➢ Pay Per Parking Fee

Pay-per-parking fee is also a good tactic to let your app, like RTA Dubai, make money for you. In this strategy, your users have to pay a small amount of fee each time they book a parking spot for their vehicle all over the city.

So, every time someone uses this app for parking, your business can earn profit.

➢ Premium Features

Let your app charge extra from your users every time they use the premium features within the app. For example, whenever any user places an advanced booking for a taxi or makes priority parking, they have to pay extra bucks.

Again, let your app charge extra convenience fees and surge charges to create a revenue stream for your business.

➢ Sponsored Ads

You can let other brands promote themselves by running an ad video within your app, and in return, you have to charge them. This is like offering your app as a banner for ads in return for money.

This is a good idea for a business to earn revenue that helps it grow. This will not disturb the user experience, but a good scope to promote local brands.

Why Choose Nimble AppGenie to Build a Taxi App?

Are you in search of an app development company in Dubai that will help you with the hassle-free development of an app like RTA Dubai? Your search ends here with Nimble AppGenie, one of the best mobile app startups in Dubai.

Nimble AppGenie will develop a full-stack app that is well-structured and functions just like the RTA Dubai app. The developers of this app development company are well-trained, skilled, and have good experience in this field.

Moreover, if you have additional mobile app ideas, then you can rely on Nimble AppGenie with that, too. They have complete knowledge of different industries and can develop your app within budget & time.

Conclusion

By developing an app like RTA Dubai, you will offer an excellent tool to the people of Dubai, which helps them to have a great time on the road.

By using correct technology, a mix of modern features, and a user-centric design, you can create an app that allows you to contribute to the smart city revolution.

You now have complete knowledge about how you can create a traffic and transport app like RTA Dubai strategically. Make things convenient for the citizens and visitors of Dubai during their road trip.

It’s time for you to join the troupe to build a smart app and help shape tomorrow.

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