Qatar achieves top global rankings in public transport Indicators

Published: 04 June 2025

Rankings based on assessment of public transport systems in 40 cities in 14 MENA countries

Qatar News Agency
Doha

Qatar has secured the top position in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for the “Share of Population with Convenient Access to Public Transport”, reaching an impressive 91.7%, according to the 2025 MENA Transport Report published by the Centre for Transport Ex­cellence in collaboration with the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), the Ministry of Transport an­nounced on Tuesday.

This year’s edition of the re­port expanded its scope to as­sess public transport systems in 40 cities across 14 MENA countries.

Doha stands out globally, boasting the highest number of public transport kilometres per million inhabitants—64km per one million residents—sur­passing several major world capitals. The city also ranks third worldwide in terms of the number of public buses per million residents, with 969 buses, highlighting Qatar’s substantial investment in pub­lic transport infrastructure.

In terms of metro network capacity, Doha ranks fourth globally with 278 metro cars per million inhabitants, ac­cording to the report.

UITP further places Qa­tar among the world’s top 20 countries for public transport user experience, alongside re­nowned cities such as Amster­dam, Geneva, and Singapore. The report also commends Qa­tar for offering one of the most affordable public transport sys­tems globally when assessed by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), ensuring accessibility for all segments of society.

The report emphasises Qa­tar’s leadership in environ­mental sustainability within the MENA transport sector, backed by robust plans to tran­sition to clean energy.

Qatar is also recognised as a frontrunner in smart infra­structure for public transport, with an integrated system sup­ported by digital innovation and sustainable facilities.

UITP praises Qatar’s notable advancements in developing its public transportation network— encompassing infrastructure upgrades, sustainability initia­tives, digital transformation, and multi-modal integration. These developments are aligned with the goals of the Qatar Na­tional Vision 2030, aiming to serve both residents and visitors efficiently.

In conclusion, the report affirms that Qatar’s strategic and qualitative progress has established its status as a lead­ing nation in public transport, both regionally and on the global stage.

The Doha Metro as one of the most advanced and most ef­ficient mobility systems in the world thanks to its full driver­less automation and high rider­ship per every 1 million people. It also lauded Doha Metro’s role in the success of major events Qatar organizes or hosts, first and foremost the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 where fans en­joyed safe and smooth move­ment, the report noted.

The report says Lusail Tram stands out and reflects ambi­tious urban planning. Serving the smart city of Lusail with the highest rates of kilometers per each one million inhabit­ants if compared to similar cities, the report said Lusail tramway network reflects a forward-looking vision to en­hance urban mobility.

‘Qatar has taken significant steps toward electrification, with Doha integrating electric buses into its public transport network. Qatar has outlined plans to transition its public bus fleet to full electrification by 2030, supported by an ex­panding charging infrastruc­ture and investments in smart mobility’, the report says.

The report further praised Qatar’s success in integrating various transportation modes into one system while making several solutions available for users such as electronic pay­ment using cards and via appli­cations and smart platforms for trip planning and bus tracking, something which helps achieve smooth and efficient connectiv­ity between metro networks, buses, trams and shared mobility.

The UITP report says that Qatar’s experience in public transportation represents a role model, regionally and internationally, combing op­erational efficiency, environ­mental sustainability and tech­nology innovation.