Dubai has awarded the Dh20.5 billion ($5.6 billion) contract to build the Metro Blue Line, designed to tackle traffic congestion as the city expands to accommodate a growing population.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) awarded the contract to a consortium of three Turkish and Chinese companies – Mapa, Limak and CRRC, Dubai Media Office said on Thursday.
The Blue Line will cover 30km and have 14 stations. The project is scheduled to be completed on September 9, 2029, with construction slated to begin in April 2025. The completion date is 20 years to the day since Dubai Metro opened, initially with 10 Red Line stations, on September 9, 2009.
The Blue Line will offer “sustainable and flexible public transport solutions that enhance mobility for residents and visitors, elevate quality of life, and strengthen Dubai’s position as a global hub for events and activities”, said RTA director general Mattar Al Tayer.
“The Blue Line also supports urban planning initiatives like the 20-minute city, ensuring that over 80 per cent of services are accessible within a 20-minute commute, while promoting transit-oriented development.”
When completed, the Blue Line, together with the Red and Green Lines, will connect five urban regions of Dubai – Bur Dubai and Deira, Downtown and Business Bay, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence, and Expo City Dubai.
Once the Blue Line is complete, the Dubai Metro will be 131km long and have 78 stations, served by 168 trains.
The Blue Line's 30km will comprise 15.5km of underground tracks and 14.5km of elevated tracks and will carry more than one billion passengers by 2040.
It will feature three interchange stations: Al Khor on the Green Line, Centrepoint on the Red Line, and International City, according to a statement from Dubai Media Office. A “signature architectural station” will be built in Dubai Creek Harbour.
The Blue Line will also feature Dubai Metro’s first crossing over Dubai Creek via a 1,300-metre bridge. “The new line ensures seamless connectivity and integration between Dubai Metro's Red and Green Lines through two routes,” Mr Al Tayer said.
Economic benefits
The Blue Line is expected to generate Dh56.5 billion in economic benefits by 2040, driven by savings in time, fuel consumption, reduced road accident deaths, and lower carbon emissions, according to Mr Al Tayer.
“The Blue Line project of Dubai Metro is projected to yield Dh2.60 in economic, social, and environmental benefits for every dirham invested by 2040,” he said. It will reduce traffic congestion on key roads by 20 per cent and boost the value of land and properties surrounding its stations by up to 25 per cent, according to the statement.
It will offer direct connections between Dubai International Airport and key areas along the route, with travel times ranging from 10 to 25 minutes. With a capacity of 46,000 passengers per hour in both directions and a train frequency of approximately two minutes, the Blue Line is expected to serve nearly 200,000 passengers daily by 2030, according to the RTA. This is set to increase to 320,000 passengers daily by 2040.
Dubai Metro now carries more than 850,000 riders daily and has transported nearly 2.5 billion passengers since its launch, according to Mr Al Tayer. It currently accounts for 60 per cent of all public transport users in the emirate, he said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
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8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
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Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
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Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
