Dubai Metro network to expand by almost 50% by 2029

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has begun construction on a new metro line that will expand the city’s driverless rail network by 46% to 131 kilometres by 2029, part of a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure plan aimed at improving urban mobility and reducing road congestion.

The 30-kilometre Blue Line will run from the Creek interchange in the existing Green Line to Centrepoint on the Red Line, passing through Academic City and 14 stations, including five underground. It is expected to carry up to 200,000 passengers per day upon completion, with demand forecast to reach 320,000 daily riders by 2040.

The AED 18 billion ($4.9 billion) contract was awarded in late 2024 to a consortium including Turkey’s MAPA, Limak Holding, and China’s CRRC. Construction began earlier this year, and trial operations are expected to start in 2028, according to the RTA. The full line is scheduled to open on September 9, 2029, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Dubai Metro.

Metro carried 275m passengers in 2024

Dubai currently operates two metro lines spanning 89.6 km and 55 stations, with the system carrying more than 275 million passengers in 2024, or an average of 755,000 riders per day.

The Blue Line forms part of Dubai’s broader transport strategy aligned with the 2040 Urban Master Plan, which seeks to expand access to public transport and reduce dependency on private vehicles. The RTA said the new line will include stations certified to platinum green building standards and will connect emerging residential and commercial districts.

In 2021, Dubai opened the 15-kilometre Route 2020 extension to the Red Line, linking Jebel Ali to the Expo City Dubai site. A future extension from Expo City to Al Maktoum International Airport remains under review.

The RTA said the expansion reflects Dubai’s continued investment in sustainable mobility infrastructure amid rising population growth and urban development across the emirate.