The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), a government agency in Dubai responsible for planning and providing an integrated transport system in the emirate, has ordered a total of 400 MAN Lion’s City buses for use in public transport in Dubai.
Representatives of RTA Dubai, United Motors & Heavy Equipment Co. LLC, and MAN Truck & Bus signed the delivery contract for the city buses during the UITP Summit in Hamburg. The new fleet is scheduled to enter service in early 2026.
Barbaros Oktay, Head of the Bus Division at MAN Truck & Bus, commented:
“This additional major order in the Middle East and our long-standing partnership with RTA impressively demonstrate the excellent international approval our vehicles receive and how they successfully convince transport companies all over the world.”
Delivery of the buses is planned to begin in October 2025. The twelve-meter-long vehicles are equipped with 330 hp, nine-litre Euro 6 diesel engines (D1556). According to the company, the buses are a perfect fit for RTA’s sustainability goals thanks to their high efficiency and low emissions.
The Lion’s City models are equipped with the latest safety systems, including Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Lane Guard System, Collision Warning, Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), and Turn Assist. As such, they meet international safety and accessibility standards with Class 1 and 2 approval, complying with ECE R66/02, ECE R118, ECE R107, and ECE R36 regulations.
The partnership between RTA Dubai and United Motors dates back to 2008. Since then, the companies have aimed to make public transport in the emirate more reliable, innovative, and efficient.
It began 17 years ago with the delivery of 150 Neoplan articulated buses, 75 Neoplan solo buses, and 170 Neoplan double-decker buses. In 2017, an additional 79 MAN double-decker buses were delivered.
Today, approximately 200 city buses from both the MAN and Neoplan brands are still in operation in Dubai. Some individual vehicles have covered around two million kilometres.