DUBAI // More riders on the tram, quicker service and periodic reviews to ease traffic flow are expected as the tram turns a year old on Wednesday.
Eleven trams that trundle along an 11km route with 11 stations around the Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Al Sufouh areas have attracted 3.7 million passengers.
Shutting the Marina loop service and reducing headway from 12 to eight minutes since October have boosted daily ridership by 15 per cent to about 15,000 passengers per day.
This came after Dubai Roads and Transport Authority studies showed that passengers, mainly tourists, on the loop service did not exceed 6 per cent of total passengers.
“People complain the tram is really slow, but once they closed the roundabout loop, the trains are frequent,” said Anees Rahman, an insurance manager and frequent tram and metro user.
“You will still reach your destination faster in a cab, but when I want to reach clients in Media City, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Marina, the tram-metro connectivity is unbeatable.”
Opinion about the tram’s effectiveness remains divided. Motorists who wait for minutes at traffic signals in the Marina and JBR areas have never been fans.
“I still don’t see the point of this in an area where people are rushing home or to work. It just slows things down,” said Chris Robins, a safety engineer who has lived in the Marina for eight years.
“But when my relatives come to Dubai, they like to hop on for a bit. It’s not for everyone, though.”
For now, the RTA says it has delivered in terms of operational efficiency, punctuality, safety and linking public transport systems.
“The tram supports the economy of the emirate and contributes to reducing carbon emissions, conserving the environment and improving the experience of residents,” said Mattar Al Tayer, RTA director general.
“The Dubai tram is primarily aimed at improving mobility inside Dubai and in areas of tourist and economic importance.”
The service is popular among students and mothers ferrying children to nearby nurseries.
“My parents allow me to take the tram instead of dropping me to school,” said Jassim Al Hatti, 12, a student of Dubai National School in Al Barsha. “My family feels the tram is safe and also the metro, so I’m allowed to travel alone, so it’s fun.”
Safety remains the priority for transport authorities who will review each junction on the tram route over the next few months to pinpoint changes required.
More than 1,000 cameras monitor movement inside the tram, inside and outside the stations with police patrolling to ensure motorists do not drive through red lights or flout U-turn and left turn restrictions.
Dubai Police radars monitor offences with fines ranging from Dh2,000 for jumping a red light to Dh30,000 for causing a fatality and crashing into a tram.
As part of safety procedures, tram drivers are asked to list medications they are taking and undergo breathalyser tests.
“There are opportunities for improvement around junctions and a separate safety study will decide on specific changes to reduce violations,” said Mohammed Al Mudharreb, director of rail operations. “Police presence, continuous education of motorists and strict violations list is important to maintain safety.”
rtalwar@thenational.ae
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7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
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Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
More on Quran memorisation:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
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The biog
Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Favourite music: Classical
Hobbies: Reading and writing
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The specs
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
