Abu Dhabi skyline
Abu Dhabi Mobility has unveiled a strategic project to overhaul the emirate’s public transport systems, backed by an investment exceeding AED 300 million (about $81.7 million), as the city pushes to modernize how residents pay for and track buses across its network.
Announced during LIVEX 2026, the project centers on two major technology upgrades: an Automated Vehicle Management (AVM) system and an integrated digital Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system. The contract has been awarded to Conduent Business Solutions S.A.S., a French company and part of the global Conduent Group that specializes in smart mobility and electronic fare collection technology.
The AVM system will give Abu Dhabi Mobility real-time monitoring of buses and journeys across the network, improving schedule adherence, strengthening fleet and service management, and supporting more data-driven decisions about how resources are allocated across routes. For riders, the more visible change will likely be the fare collection overhaul: the new AFC system is designed to simplify payment, replacing the current setup with more flexible options including bank cards, digital payment methods and QR codes.
The investment fits into a broader pattern of Gulf cities pouring capital into public transport modernization as urban populations grow and expectations around digital convenience rise. By combining real-time fleet visibility with simplified digital payments, Abu Dhabi Mobility is betting that operational reliability and rider convenience, tackled together rather than separately, will do more to shift commuters toward public transport than either upgrade would accomplish on its own.
