RTA launches road safety film festival with Dh300,000 prizes

The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the second edition of its Road Safety Film Festival, offering up to Dh300,000 in prizes for creative films that promote safer road behavior. The festival is an extension of the inaugural edition held in 2025, which garnered over 100 submissions and showcased the potential of short films and digital content in delivering road safety messages.

Entries for the 2026 festival can be submitted from August 24 to November 22 through RTA’s official website, and are open to individuals, university students, government entities, private-sector companies and the general community. The competition aims to encourage innovative approaches to road safety awareness, promote compliance with traffic laws and discourage dangerous behaviors.

Hussain Al Banna, CEO of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency, emphasized that the festival complements the Authority’s efforts to diversify its traffic awareness tools and reach various segments of society. With the rise of digital platforms and social media, short films have proven to be an effective medium for conveying awareness messages.

The competition comprises three main categories: Individuals and University Students, Government Entities and Private-Sector Companies, and Community. The Individuals and University Students category offers Dh30,000 for first place, Dh20,000 for second, and Dh10,000 for third in the Best Road Safety Awareness Film on Safe Driving and Best Innovative Road Safety Awareness Film Using Modern Technologies subcategories.

Government entities and private-sector companies can vie for recognition trophies in the second category. The Community category includes a Best Family Road Safety Awareness Film prize, along with a category for films featuring the experiences of traffic accident victims, each with Dh30,000, Dh20,000, and Dh10,000 first, second, and third place prizes respectively.

Winning films will be integrated into RTA’s traffic awareness programs, such as educational lectures, workshops, and road safety campaigns, as well as showcased across RTA’s digital platforms to maximize their impact beyond the festival. The event aligns with RTA’s broader Traffic Safety and Awareness Strategy, which is driven by the vision of “Zero Fatalities,” with the goal of enhancing road safety in Dubai and the UAE.

The strategy integrates awareness and education with improved road design and collaboration among relevant authorities and partners, including initiatives for students, truck drivers, and delivery riders.