Dubai Metro Blue Line: What to Know About the Extension So Far

The upcoming Blue Line metro route will be 30km long with both underground and above-ground stations, confirmed RTA

Posted on

18 February 2024

| Last updated on 29 February 2024

by Clarice Awa

Exciting news for public transport commuters in Dubai!

More details about the new Blue Line for the Dubai Metro has been revealed by the Road and Transport Authority (RTA).

Connecting the Red and Green Lines, and expected to be over 30km long, the upcoming metro route will kickstart its AED 18 billion project this year.

"RTA is consistently expanding and upgrading the public transport network," said His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, RTA,

"2024 is set to mark the commencement of the Dubai Metro Blue Line project, which will stretch over a total of 30km, with 15.5 km running underground and 14.5 km above ground," he added.

The Blue Line route

The Dubai metro's Blue Line route was first announced in November 2023 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, and Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE.

According to His Highness, the multi-billion dirhams Blue Line project will cover areas such as Dubai Creek, Festival City, Rashidiya, International City, Academic City, Silicon Oasis, Mirdif, and others.

The upcoming metro line has been confirmed to be mostly underground, while the rest of the train route will be above ground.

اعتمدنا بحمدالله أكبر مشروع جديد في قطاع النقل العام في دبي .. "مسار الخط الأزرق لمترو دبي " .. بطول 30 كم نصفه تحت الأرض بأعماق تصل ل70 متر .. وبتكلفة 18 مليار درهم .. ويغطي مناطق يصل سكانها مليون نسمة .. مثل مرسى خور دبي، وفيستيفال سيتي والمدينة العالمية والراشدية والورقاء… pic.twitter.com/ykKRZdjKvC

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) November 24, 2023

When will the Blue Line open?

So far, no confirmation has been given on when the Blue Line is expected to complete and open to the public.

The project itself will commence this year, and it is highly anticipated by UAE residents who commute by public transport.

According to RTA officials, the combined ridership of public transport and shared mobility, including Dubai Metro, Tram, buses, marine transport, shared mobility services, and taxis, reached around 702 million in 2023.

The average number for rides per day last year was 1.92 million, compared to 1.7 million in 2022.

Dubai's #RTA announced that in 2023, the combined ridership of public transport and shared mobility, including Dubai Metro, Tram, buses, marine transport, shared mobility services, and taxis, reached around 702 million, up 13% from 2022's 621.4 million. The average daily… pic.twitter.com/VDDay5H3wn

— RTA (@rta_dubai) February 18, 2024

Currently, there are two metro lines in Dubai: the Red Line and the Green Line.

The Dubai metro opened in September 2009 with the Red Line, connecting the old neighbourhoods and the Dubai International Airport to the Downtown Area, Barsha Heights, and Jebel Ali. It has since expanded to connect to the Dubai Tram, and further southwest to Expo City (Expo 2020 metro station).

The Green Line opened after, connecting Muhaisnah and the Dubai Airport Freezone to Oud Metha and Dubai Healthcare City.

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