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How data, policy, and ambitious cities are redefining shared micromobility across the Middle East

As the CEO of Vianova, I have spent the last several years watching the global mobility landscape evolve from a chaotic "Wild West" of dockless scooters into a sophisticated, data-driven ecosystem, a process Vianova has been proud to help lead. However, nowhere is this evolution as dramatic, as high-stakes, or as visually stunning as in the Middle East. We are witnessing a historic pivot where the cradle of the oil economy is reinventing itself as a global laboratory for the future of sustainable, integrated urban movement. Let’s explore this transition from the "giga-project" ambitions of Saudi Arabia to the hyper-regulated smart streets of Dubai, and the data-rich corridors of Tel Aviv and Doha.

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The Quantitative Landscape: A Region in Hyper-Growth

To understand the scale of the change, one must first look at the numbers. The Middle East and Africa (MEA) region is currently projected to be the fastest-growing market for shared vehicles globally. While Europe and North America provided the initial templates for shared mobility, the MEA region is expected to grow at a blistering pace, driven by government mandates like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s Smart Mobility Strategy. The global shared mobility market, valued at approximately USD 242.51 billion in 2024, is on a trajectory to hit nearly a trillion dollars by 2033. Within this, the Middle East is rapidly increasing its footprint, with the UAE micromobility market alone expected to double between 2024 and 2030.

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Regional Market Deployment Statistics (2024-2025)

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In the Middle East, infrastructure is not just a utility; it is a statement of national intent. The shift from building ten-lane highways to constructing "livable spines" is the most significant opportunity for the shared micromobility sector. The region is moving away from the car-centric planning that defined the late 20th century and toward a "20-minute city" model where residents can access everything they need via walking or cycling.

The Riyadh Sports Boulevard is perhaps the most ambitious active mobility project on the planet. Spanning over 135 km, it is designed to be the world's largest urban linear park. This is not merely a bike path; it is a fundamental reconfiguration of the city of Riyadh. By February 2025, the project had completed 83 km of paths, reaching a 40% completion rate.

By providing 220 km of dedicated, safe cycling pathways, Riyadh is systematically dismantling the primary barrier to micromobility: the fear of sharing the road with high-speed traffic. To bridge the gap during construction, the "RIYDE" immersive cycling experience was launched, using virtual reality and air-conditioned booths to  introduce cycling for a new generation of Saudi riders.

Not to be outdone, Dubai is executing its "2040 Urban Master Plan," which includes "The Loop", a 93km, climate-controlled cycling highway that acts as an environmental artery for the city. This project addresses the "weather challenge" head-on. By creating a temperature-controlled environment, Dubai is ensuring that micromobility is not a seasonal activity but a year-round viable commuting option. Already, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has seen a 66% increase in bike-share trips between 2022 and 2024, with 76% of these being essential first- and last-mile journeys.

While the ambition is limitless, the challenges in the Middle East are structural and severe. Extreme weather remains the most significant operational constraint. Temperatures exceeding 45°C during the summer can render outdoor e-scooter use physically dangerous. This has led to a “bimodal” demand pattern: high usage during the cooler winter monthsand intense evening activity during the summer. For operators, this means vehicles must be built to specialized specifications.

The regulatory environment is in a state of rapid transition. In some markets, policies are still “immature,” leading to compliance gaps. For instance, in Qatar, only 35% of operators were fully compliant with local transport authority regulations as of 2023. This lack of oversight often leads to the “micromobility chaos” seen in early European deployments: sidewalk clutter, improper parking, and safety incidents.

Furthermore, though less engrained than other parts of the world, the region's historical reliance on the private car has created cultural inertia. In many Middle Eastern cities, cycling is still viewed primarily as a leisure activity for families in parks rather than a serious commuting mode. Overcoming this requires not just lanes, but a shift in public perception, a transition that Vianova helps facilitate by providing data to prove that micromobility actually reduces congestion.

The Middle East has become a competitive theatre for both global heavyweights and local startups. The market is consolidating, with some players flourishing while others succumb to the region's unique pressures.

Active Operators and Market Shifts

• 🚗📱 Careem (The Super-App): Following its acquisition by Uber, Careem has become the regional “Super-App,” integrating rides, deliveries, and payments. Its Careem Bike network in Dubai is a model for public-private partnership, demonstrating how scale can be achieved under strict regulatory oversight.
• 🛴🌍 Lime and Dott: These international giants have successfully established themselves in the UAE and Israel. Lime, in particular, has adapted by doubling its on-street operations staff to maintain high vehicle availability during peak times.
• 🇦🇪🤝 Local Champions (Arnab and Skurrt): These operators understand the local terrain intimately. Approved by the Dubai RTA, Arnab and Skurrt pioneered the integration of nol card payments, allowing users to rent scooters using their metro credit.
• 📉🚪 The Fenix Exit: Once a prominent regional player, Fenix has largely exited or consolidated its operations, highlighting the capital-intensive nature of the market and the difficulty of scaling without a “Super-App” ecosystem.

In cities like Dubai and Riyadh, where traffic congestion is at record highs, shared mobility is the answer, but data is the engine. Riyadh’s congestion level of 43.7% and Dubai’s sprawling expansion mean that simply "dropping scooters" into a city is a recipe for disaster. This is where Vianova steps in as the trusted third-party aggregator.

Managing the Curb and the Cloud

Vianova provides the digital infrastructure that allows cities and operators to coexist. Our platform aggregates and analyzes real-time and historical mobility data from dozens of sources, providing a single "source of truth".

• 🅿️📍 Parking Management: Using geofencing technology, we help cities like Abu Dhabi and Dubai enforce no-parking zones and incentivize mobility hubs. Real-time compliance monitoring reduces pavement clutter and ensures vehicles are available where demand is highest , near metro stations and commercial centers.

• 🛡️📐 Planning Insights: Our analytics tools enable city planners to identify risky hotspots where accidents are more likely to occur. This data-driven approach supports targeted infrastructure interventions, such as adding bike lanes or reducing speed limits in high-conflict areas.

• 📈⚙️ Performance Indicators: We automate over 150 operational performance indicators, allowing authorities to evaluate the real-world impact of their mobility policies. Are more people choosing scooters over cars? Vianova builds the data models that provide the answer.

"Transparency and trust facilitate the communication that leads to better collaboration between operators and cities.". ".In the Middle East, where governance is centralized, this "transparency" is the currency of progress.” - Thibault Castagne, CEO

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The European Mirror: Lessons in Contrast

Comparing the Middle East to Europe reveals a fundamental difference in urban evolution. In Europe, shared mobility is often a "demand-led" experiment, retrofitted into dense, historic urban fabrics. European cities like Paris and Berlin have a deeply ingrained cycling culture, but they struggle with limited space. The growth of shared micro-mobility came largely from the strong market conditions and willingness to enhance a low-car diet already rich in walking and public transport with new forms that may be more convenient or faster, such as shared bikes and scooters.

In contrast, the Middle East is "strategic and state-led." Mobility is embedded upstream in the urban design. While Europe favors municipal involvement and integration with historic transit networks, the Middle East favors large-scale public-private partnerships and brand-new, purpose-built infrastructure.

The Innovation Horizon: AVs and Real-Time Realities

The Middle East is not just catching up to the world; it is leading it in mobility innovation. The region is quickly becoming the global hub for Autonomous Vehicle (AV) deployment and integrated traffic management.

Saudi Arabia’s stance on autonomous vehicles is overwhelmingly positive and ambitious. In July 2025, Riyadh launched its first autonomous robotaxi pilot, with the goal of moving to full commercial operations by the end of the year. To support this acceleration, the Transport General Authority (TGA) has established a Regulatory Sandbox, allowing companies to test delivery robots and autonomous shuttles under strict supervision.

Dubai is leading the way with its Smart Connected Vehicles Network (V2X). Unveiled at GITEX 2025, this system connects traffic signals directly to vehicle dashboards, enabling predictive traffic control. By using AI to adjust signal timings in real time based on actual traffic flow, the system has already reduced delays by 25%.

Furthermore, the region is integrating real-time data sharing with commercial vehicles and taxis. Dubai’s Transport Data Analysis Laboratory leverages predictive models to forecast traffic patterns during major events, ensuring that the city remains fluid even under extreme demand.

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A Vision for a Greener, Smarter Region

As we look toward 2030, the Middle East is positioned to leapfrog much of the Western world in urban mobility. The combination of unlimited ambition, massive capital investment, and a data-first mindset is shaping a powerful blueprint for the 21st-century city.

At Vianova, we are proud to be the connective tissue in this ecosystem. The Middle East is no longer a “new emerging market”; it is the frontier of the mobility revolution. For those of us in the industry, the message is clear: the future of transportation is being written in the desert, and it is electric, shared, and powered by data.

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About Vianova

Vianova is the data analytics solution to operate the mobility world. Our platform harnesses the power of connected vehicles and IoT data, to provide actionable insights to plan for safer, greener, and more efficient transportation infrastructures.

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From enabling regulation of shared mobility to transforming last-mile deliveries, and mapping road risk hotspots, Vianova serves 150+ cities, fleet operators, and enterprises across the globe to change the way people and goods move.

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