نحو 2.4 مليار راكب نقلهم مترو دبي على مدار 15 عاماً في رحلة تميُّز روعي فيها أعلى معايير كفاءة الأداء

Tomorrow (Monday), September 9, marks the 15th anniversary of the Dubai Metro, which was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, on September 9, 2009. This strategic project contributes to linking various vital areas in the Emirate of Dubai, provides easy and sustainable transportation for residents and visitors of the emirate, and meets the requirements of the population and urban growth witnessed by the city..

Dubai Metro has achieved great successes throughout its journey in terms of operational efficiency, punctuality, and application of the highest international safety standards. The metro has recorded continuous growth in the number of its users, reaching nearly 2.4 billion passengers in 15 years. The metro has become the first choice for transporting many residents and visitors, with the average number of passengers estimated at 730,000 per day. The adherence to the schedule reached 99.70%, which exceeds the target in achieving the highest international safety standards and operational efficiency in adhering to the accuracy of trip schedules, which since the metro’s operation until September this year, has reached nearly 4.3 million trips, while the number of kilometres traveled has reached 26.8 million kilometres..

vertebral column

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said: “The Dubai Metro is one of the wise ideas of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, to provide a world-class infrastructure for the public transport system, contributing to enhancing the status of Dubai as a global hub for finance and business, given the importance of the metro system in achieving and meeting the requirements of the population and urban growth witnessed by the city. His Highness wanted the metro to be the backbone of a highly efficient and reliable transportation system to connect various vital areas in the emirate, and provide easy and safe mobility for passengers. His Highness directed that the metro facilities should be of the highest level of sophistication, integrated services and creative design.”.

His Excellency stressed that the Dubai Metro has enjoyed the generous patronage and unlimited support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, and the continuous follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, within the framework of their interest in making the civilized transportation system in Dubai a developed global model to be emulated in all its aspects and within its various components..

Consecutive successes

“The Dubai Metro has achieved successive successes throughout its journey since its opening on September 9, 2009, until this September. The length of the metro lines increased from 52 km to nearly 90 km, the number of stations increased from 10 to 53, and the number of operating trains increased from 79 to 129. The number of metro users increased from 20,000 passengers on September 10, 2009, to 767,000 passengers per day on September 3, 2024. The number of metro passengers on some days, such as New Year’s Day and major holidays and events, reached 900,000 passengers per day. The Dubai Metro has also contributed to providing job opportunities for citizens, as the number of citizens working in the company operating the Dubai Metro is estimated at 228 employees. The Dubai Metro has maintained its position as the longest driverless metro project in the world, while it remains one of the most important projects of the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai and the public transport system in the emirate. It has also maintained its global position in the areas of safety,” Al Tayer added. And to follow effective environmentally friendly solutions and enhance the foundations of the green economy as well, while achieving operational efficiency and accuracy in flight schedules..

Positive indicators

HE Mattar Al Tayer expressed his happiness with the positive indicators of the continuous growth in the number of Dubai Metro users, which confirm that the huge investments pumped by the Dubai Government in developing the infrastructure of the public transport sector have proven successful and effective, and have contributed to supporting the development process witnessed by the Emirate of Dubai, enhancing economic activity and tourism activities, and increasing the global competitiveness of the Emirate in attracting and organizing global events and activities, such as exhibitions, conferences and international meetings, perhaps the most important of which is Dubai winning the bid to host Expo 2020, in addition to preserving the environment, reducing the financial consequences of traffic congestion, reducing the demand for the use of private vehicles and shifting towards the use of public transport. The metro has also contributed to bringing about a transformation and development in the culture of society towards public transport, as people have begun to feel the benefits and advantages of the public transport system, including psychological and physical comfort, in moving around with ease and simplicity, and reducing fuel and vehicle maintenance expenses..

Strategic Partners

His Excellency the Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) thanked the strategic partners whose cooperation and efforts contributed to the Authority’s successful operation of the Dubai Metro, most notably the Dubai Police General Headquarters represented by the General Department of Transport Security, and Keolis MHI, which operates the metro. He also thanked the users of the Dubai Metro, for whom the metro has become their first choice for transportation between different areas of the Emirate of Dubai, for their commitment to the rules and regulations governing the use of the metro, and their preservation of the project’s facilities, as no acts of deliberate disruption or damage to the metro facilities have been recorded over the past years. His Excellency praised the employees of the Roads and Transport Authority, and specifically thanked the employees of the Rail Agency, for their efforts in supervising and following up on the metro operation..

exponential growth

The number of passengers on the Dubai Metro has witnessed continuous growth since its operation, as the number of passengers during the period from September to the end of December 2009 (four months) reached 6 million and 89 thousand passengers, rising to 38 million and 89 thousand passengers in 2010, then rising in 2011 to 69 million and 1 thousand passengers, and in 2012, the number of passengers jumped to 109 million and 49 thousand passengers, and in 2013 the number of passengers reached 137 million and 76 thousand passengers, rising in 2014 to 164 million and 31 thousand passengers..

In 2015, the number of Dubai Metro users rose to 178 million and 65 thousand passengers, and in 2016 to 191 million and 33 thousand passengers, and exceeded the 200 million and 75 thousand passengers barrier in 2017, to record the highest percentage in the number of passengers since the launch of the project at a rate of 204 million and 41 thousand passengers, and in 2019 the number of passengers reached 202 million and 98 thousand passengers..

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic that swept the world in 2020, the Dubai Metro transported 113 million and 63 thousand passengers that year, and the number rose to 151 million and 26 thousand passengers in 2021. The metro recorded a record number of passengers in 2022, reaching 225 million and 142 thousand passengers, and the number of passengers continued to grow in 2023 to reach 260 million and 34 thousand passengers, while the number of passengers since the beginning of this year, until the end of last August (eight months), reached 175 million and 460 thousand passengers..

Path 2020

On June 29, 2016, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, approved the award of the contract for the Route 2020 project to extend the Dubai Metro Red Line from Jebel Ali Station to the Expo 2020 site, to the Expolink consortium, which includes French, Spanish and Turkish companies, at a cost of AED 10.6 billion..

On September 5 of the same year, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum laid the foundation stone for the “Path 2020” project, marking the start of construction work on the project. On July 8, 2020, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum officially launched the Dubai Metro Route 2020, which is 15 km long, 11.8 km above ground level and 3.2 km below ground level, with a total of seven stations, including an interchange station with the Red Line, a station at the Expo site, three elevated stations, and two underground stations. It serves densely populated areas, with a population of more than 270,000 people, such as Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Al Furjan, Jumeirah Golf Estates, and Dubai Investment Park. The estimated journey time from Dubai Marina to Expo Metro Station is only 16 minutes, and the capacity (of Route 2020) is about 46,000 passengers per hour in both directions..

Blue Line

In continuation of the efforts of the Roads and Transport Authority to develop the public transport system, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum approved, on November 23, 2023, the Dubai Metro Blue Line, with a length of 30 km and a total of 14 stations, serving vital areas whose population is expected to reach about one million people according to the Dubai Urban Plan 2040..

The Blue Line is the fifth strategic project in the field of public transport, which includes the Red and Green Lines of the Dubai Metro, the Dubai Tram, and Route 2020 of the Dubai Metro. It is also one of the largest strategic projects in the transportation sector for the next phase, and contributes to achieving the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda. D33The objectives of the Dubai Urban Plan 2040 are to make Dubai: (the best city to live in the world), and enhance Dubai’s global competitiveness as an attractive center for global events. It also contributes to achieving connectivity and integration with the red and green lines of the Dubai Metro, in addition to providing a direct link between Dubai International Airport and nine vital areas located along the line, where the travel time is expected to range between 10 and 25 minutes..

The Blue Line stands out for its many notable features, including the first Dubai Metro bridge crossing over Dubai Creek, measuring 1,300 metres in length, and two iconic stations, the first at Dubai Creek Marina and the second at Dubai Silicon Oasis (the fifth urban hub), which are characterised by their unique architectural designs, designed by the world-leading firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. (SOM)…and the presence of the largest transitional underground station for the metro network, with an area of ​​more than 44 thousand square meters, and an estimated capacity of about 350 thousand passengers per day. The new line is also unique in that it is the first transportation project that complies with green building specifications: (Platinum Category)..

Operating accuracy

The Train Operations Control Centre is one of the most advanced control centres in the world, managing the daily operation of the Dubai Metro service on the Red and Green Lines around the clock (24/7), which requires a high level of accuracy and speed, achieving the highest levels of safety and security, and passenger comfort. The centre has contributed to the Dubai Metro achieving the highest international safety standards, operational efficiency in adhering to the accuracy of trip schedules, achieving greater speed in implementing maintenance operations and making decisions, and reducing the possibility of breakdowns..

The control center supervises and monitors train movement, the performance of automated systems in train movement, communication systems, and electrical transformers in trains and metro stations. The center also manages the passenger information system, train entry onto the track, and controls the operation and stopping of the train. The design and implementation also take into account environmental control monitoring and supervision of safety, firefighting, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in tunnels, stations, and trains, and ensuring the operation of brakes, doors, and engines in each train..

Important stations in the journey of the “Dubai Metro”“

• 21 March 2006: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, inaugurated the construction works of the Dubai Metro project at an official ceremony held in Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai..

• 29 July 2006: Pouring the first concrete column for the Dubai Metro flyover between the 6th and 7th interchanges on Sheikh Zayed Road.

• 10 January 2007: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum inaugurated the basic excavation works for the Dubai Metro project tunnels, announcing the start of excavation works from the Union Station towards Dubai Creek and reaching Burjuman Station..

• 20 September 2008: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum inaugurated the technical trial operation of the Dubai Metro on the test track..

• 9/9/2009: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum gave the signal to start the official operation of the Red Line, which started with ten stations..

• 9/9/2011: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum inaugurated the official operation of the Dubai Metro Green Line.

• 29 June 2016: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum approved the award of the Route 2020 project contract to extend the Dubai Metro Red Line..

• 5 September 2016: His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum laid the foundation stone for the (Path 2020) project..

• 8 July 2020, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum gave the official start signal for the operation of Dubai Metro’s Route 2020.

• 23 November 2023: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum approved the 30-kilometre route of the Dubai Metro Blue Line..