67 million people use Dubai Metro in 2013

An incredible 67 million people used the Dubai Metro network in the first half of 2013, new figures have shown.

According to the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), 43.5 million commuters travelled on the Red Line during the six-month period, while the Green Line accommodated more than 23.5 million passengers.

In excess of seven million passengers used the Red route each month on average and there is every chance this figure will rise sharply in the future.

Indeed, plans are in place to extend the Metro in the coming years, as the government aims to cater for Dubai's rapidly growing population.

Overall, an astounding 165.5 million people used the city's public transport infrastructure in the first half of the year.

Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA, said a lot of effort has gone into encouraging locals and visitors to make full use of Dubai's transport offerings.

'This drive also echoes one of the strategic objectives of the RTA vis-a-vis reducing the use of private vehicles and increasing the use of public transit means from six per cent in 2009 to 30 per cent in 2030, and this rate has almost hit 12 per cent in 2012,' he remarked.

The RTA also released details about the busiest stations along the Red Line and the results were unsurprising.

Popular areas including Deira City Center, Mall of the Emirates, Union, Burjuman, Al Rigga, Al Karama and Burj Khalifa handled the most people during the first half of the year.

Earlier this month, the RTA announced that a new tram network will be introduced towards the end of 2014. The system will be trialled in January and the first phase of the Al Sufouh line will cover 10.6 km, encompassing 11 stations in total.

All of these developments are good news for investors who are planning to add new Dubai-based assets to their Middle Eastern portfolios, as they will enable people to travel around the city much more freely.