Dubai Taxi Company to buy National Taxi for $395 million
The debt-funded deal adds about 2,500 plates across three cities and lifts DTC's share of the Dubai taxi market to roughly 59 percent.
Dubai Taxi Company has signed a sale and purchase agreement to take 100 percent ownership of National Taxi, a UAE operator with licensed plates in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The transaction is valued at AED1.45 billion ($395 million) and will be financed through new bank debt facilities. The final consideration is subject to adjustment under the terms of the agreement.
National Taxi was founded in 2000 and operates about 2,500 licensed plates and a fleet of more than 2,700 vehicles. In the year ended July 31, 2025, it completed 25.4 million trips at a 98 percent fleet utilization rate, generating net revenue of AED774 million and EBITDA of AED183 million.
Its plates are split between 1,734 in Dubai and 800 across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Issuance in both emirates is tightly controlled, which keeps entry barriers high and plate values scarce.
After completion, Dubai Taxi Company expects its share of the Dubai market to rise from 47 percent to approximately 59 percent, while taking a 12 percent position in Abu Dhabi. The combined pro forma fleet is projected to exceed 14,000 vehicles as of May 2026, serving an estimated 78 million trips a year across the UAE.
DTC intends to keep the National Taxi brand and integrate only partially. Customer-facing operations stay in place; finance, procurement and back-office functions are consolidated. The company points to fleet procurement, maintenance, driver management and digital platforms, including its partnership with Bolt, as areas where the two businesses line up.
Toufic Mitri, managing director at National Taxi, said the company has been a prominent operator in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for 26 years, growing steadily and adopting new technology along the way. Over the past year it appointed Emirates NBD Capital Limited and Lazard Gulf Limited to run a competitive process that drew interest from investors in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. DTC submitted the most compelling proposal, he said, and is well placed to take the business through its next stage.
Group chairman H.E. Abdul Muhsen Ibrahim Kalbat said the acquisition strengthens DTC's lead in Dubai and gives it a meaningful presence in Abu Dhabi, describing National Taxi as a well-established operator with a strong financial profile. Dubai remains the foundation of the business, he said, and demand for mobility continues to be supported by the country's ability to attract investment, talent and visitors.
Group CEO Mansoor Rahma Alfalasi said the deal should be earnings accretive from the first full year of ownership, with further upside from procurement savings and centralized maintenance. It is structured without equity dilution, she said, and fits a five-year strategy that pairs growth with dividends and a healthy leverage profile.
Abu Dhabi's taxi and ride-hailing market is fragmented but difficult to enter. DTC treats it as a platform for long-term growth and a base for expanding into other emirates.
