Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in collaboration with Dubai Police, has launched a campaign aimed at tackling the everyday driving behaviours that contribute to congestion and road safety risks across Dubai.
Not the big, obvious violations, but the smaller, routine ones people slip into without thinking, whether that’s tailgating, sudden braking, distracted driving, or unnecessary lane changes. The kind of behaviour that feels minor in the moment, but adds up across the road.
Instead of preventative warning messages or approaching the campaign through the lens of law enforcement, RTA and Dubai Police have chosen a campaign that takes a more instinctive route, by pointing to a voice most people readily respond to: their mothers.
Built as a light-hearted take on a familiar truth, that most people instinctively behave better when their mother is watching or in the car with them, the campaign uses humour to reflect everyday driving moments people recognise in themselves.
The campaign is fronted by Khaseibah, an Emirati figure known for her relatable, motherly tone. The hero film follows a young Emirati driver through everyday moments on the road. Each time he is about to make a risky decision, he is stopped by subtle cues and the voice of his mother, prompting him to slow down and drive more carefully.
The campaign was rolled out in phases, starting with a four-day teaser on social, where Khaseibah appeared holding signboards with short, witty road safety messages.
This was followed by the full launch across channels, including a hero film on YouTube and RTA’s social platforms, radio spots that bring the “motherly voice” directly into cars, and high-visibility outdoor placements across the city.
This included a Sheikh Zayed Road hoarding featuring Khaseibah’s eyes overlooking traffic, alongside digital billboards, mupis and bridge banners highlighting specific driving behaviours. The campaign was further reinforced through social cutdowns and carousels.
The campaign was brought to life in partnership with creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi MEA, production house Prodigious Middle East, media agency Starcom and post-production by Optix Middle East.
The situations are simple, recognisable and relatable.
“Road safety is often associated with major violations, but what we see on the ground is that everyday driving habits play an equally important role in how safely and efficiently the city moves. This campaign focuses on building awareness around those behaviours and encouraging more responsible driving over time,” RTA officials shared in a statement.
The statement added,“The intention is to move beyond enforcement and create a sense of personal responsibility among drivers. When individuals recognise how their actions impact others on the road, it leads to more conscious and considerate driving.”
Sebastien Boutabel, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East, said, “We didn’t want to create another road safety message that people hear and forget. The idea was to tap into something people already respond to instinctively. A mother’s voice doesn’t feel like enforcement, it feels personal, familiar, and immediate. That’s what makes it powerful enough to influence behaviour in real moments.”
The objective of the campaign to raise awareness of how individual behaviour impacts the wider road ecosystem, while encouraging more conscious and considerate driving habits over time.
CREDITS
Client: Roads & Transport Authority & Dubai Police
Creative agency: Saatchi & Saatchi MEA
Leadership
- Ramzi Sleiman – Chief Executive Officer
- Sebastien Boutabel – Chief Creative Officer
Creative
- Mirko Arico-Torreno – Creative Director
- Maya El Kai – Associate Creative Director
- James Child – Senior English Copywriter
- Hajer Ramadhan – Art Director
- Maryam Mansoor – Arabic Copywriter
- Uthaman Chamandi – Senior Manager, Creative Services
Client Servicing
- Hiam Baltaji – Associate Business Director, Communications Consultancy
- Dayana Atanasova – Manager, Communications Consultancy
- Yara Feghaly – Executive, Communications Consultancy
Production
- Shereen Mostafa – Head of Production, Saatchi & Saatchi MEA
- Daniel Seif – Producer, Saatchi & Saatchi MEA
- Edmond Mattar – Producer, Saatchi & Saatchi MEA
Production House: Prodigious Middle East
Post-Production House: Optix Middle East
- Carmel Missilmany – Producer
- Issam Saadane – Director
- Anora Tukhsanova – Production Manager
- Asal Tukhsanova – Production Coordinator
- Nour Helou – Production Coordinator
- MUH – Makeup & Hair
- Hamada Hamada – Director’s Cut
- Thalia Aryji – Post Producer
- Thalia Trad – Post Producer
- Waleed ElHassanin – Offline Editor
- Mohammed Mahfouz – Offline Editor
- Eddy Farah – Online Artist
- Ziad El Malla – Colorist
- Mangojam – Sound Design
Media – Starcom
- Fadi Haddad – Business Director, Media
- Tejaswi Mishra – Senior Manager, Media
- Susan Dargham – Senior Executive, Media
- Nithin Kumar – Executive, Media
