Ride-hailing: Dubai’s busiest days, longest trips and peak hours revealed by Zed

Dubai ride-hailing platform Zed has unveiled a data-led snapshot of how the city moved in 2025.

Its Year in Motion 2025 report brings together rider behaviour, mobility patterns, and lifestyle trends to map how residents and visitors navigated Dubai over the past year.

The data paints a picture of a fast-moving, diverse, and increasingly connected city. One individual user alone recorded 572 trips during the year, while the longest single journey by time lasted 224 minutes, highlighting how ride-hailing has become embedded in daily routines, from commuting to long-distance travel.

Ride-hailing in Dubai

Reflecting Dubai’s multicultural population, 165 unique nationalities used the Zed app in 2025, underlining its role as a shared mobility option for both residents and visitors.

Payment preferences also revealed important behavioural trends, with cash used for 47 per cent of rides, reinforcing the continued importance of flexibility and accessibility in everyday transactions.

In terms of destinations, Business Bay emerged as the most popular drop-off location, while Dubai Mall ranked as the most-booked attraction.

The busiest booking day of the year fell on October 30, while March 24 recorded the highest number of completed trips, reflecting seasonal peaks in urban movement.

Ride-hailing activity followed a clear daily pattern across the city. 6pm was the most popular time to book a ride, coinciding with the transition from work to social and leisure activities. Late-night bookings were strongest in Dubai Marina, while Jumeirah Village Circle recorded the highest number of early-morning trips, highlighting how different communities move at different times of day.

Zed cars statistics

The year also saw significant contrasts in journey distance. The longest single ride covered 265km, while the shortest measured just 450m, demonstrating that ride-hailing in Dubai serves everything from cross-city travel to ultra-short convenience trips.

Promotions continued to play a role in attracting new users, with ‘ZED50’ emerging as the most-used promo code of the year, incentivising first-time riders to take a discounted initial trip.

Badr Al Ghurair, CEO of Zed, said: “Zed’s Year in Motion 2025 offers a fascinating snapshot of how Dubai moves not just in numbers, but in habits, rhythms, and everyday behaviours. These insights reflect a city that is dynamic, diverse, and constantly on the go. As a homegrown platform, understanding these patterns allows us to continue building mobility experiences that truly serve the people of Dubai.”

Abhinav Patwa, Executive Vice President and Head of Zed, said: “What stands out from this year’s data is how ride-hailing has evolved from a convenience to a daily essential. From early-morning routines in residential communities to late-night social hubs and long-distance journeys, these trends help us design smarter, more intuitive experiences that align with how people actually live and move in Dubai.”