Sheikh Mohammed inaugurates work for Dubai Metro Blue Line tunnels
Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum inaugurated the tunnelling work on the Blue Line of the Dubai Metro.
The project, scheduled to open on September 9, 2029, has a budget of Dh20.5 billion to complete what the leader termed “the world’s newest and most beautiful metro”.
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Of the 30km line, 14.5km are above ground, which means 15.5km, a little over half of the Metro line, will be underground.
With another metro expansion project, Gold Line, announced earlier, “major projects to reshape new Dubai are ongoing,” Sheikh Mohammed said. A whopping Dh34-billion budget was allocated for the Gold Line, which also serves as a connector between Dubai’s Metro network and Etihad Rail.
Sheikh Mohammed, who also serves as the Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, said other major projects are underway in Dubai, including the new airport, DIFC in a new look, along with digital infrastructure powered by artificial intelligence technologies.
Blue Line
The Dubai Metro Blue Line will link to the Red Line at Centrepoint Station, and the Green Line at Creek Station. It consists of 14 stations, divided between two routes.
The new line will cut traffic congestion on its served routes by 20 per cent. Providing a direct connection between Dubai International Airport and nine key areas, travel will only take between 10 and 25 minutes.
The Blue Line also connects to Dubai Academic City, which is projected to accommodate over 50,000 university students by 2029, and Dubai Silicon Oasis, one of the emirate’s major urban centres.
The first station on the network — Emaar Properties — is also the world’s highest metro station, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the renowned American architectural firm behind Burj Khalifa.
Gold Line
The fully underground metro line, with 18 stations, will run at depths of up to 40 metres and pass through 15 strategic areas across the emirate, with the full Gold Line route map revealed by Dubai authorities.
The map also references a high-speed rail corridor running from Ras Al Khor towards areas beyond Expo City. No further details on this high-speed rail component have been disclosed yet.
The Gold Line will ease congestion across major roads by reducing over 40 million journeys annually; the new metro line will also lessen congestion on the Red Line between Burjuman and ONPASSIVE stations by 23 per cent.
Once fully operational, the line is expected to serve around 465,000 passengers daily by 2040. The project will also support more than 55 major real estate developments currently under construction.
With a Dh34-billion budget, it represents Dubai’s largest public transport expansion. The Gold Line will also integrate with UAE’s national rail network, Etihad Rail.
