The Dubai Metro Turns 9 Years Old

One of the city’s most popular public transport turns 9 years old this year… We take a look at its history, as well as its future

Posted on

9 September 2018

| Last updated on 14 January 2020

The Dubai Metro has facilitated the lives of thousands of commuters that use the transportation service every single day.

The humble driverless transportation tube has helped thousands of people get to and from their destination since the opening, and today, commuters in Dubai witnessed the Dubai Metro turn nine years old.

What started as an idea back in 2005 and came to life on September 9th, 2009, the Dubai Metro has served more than 1.03 billion passengers of different backgrounds, cultures and ages to this day.

Covering almost 74.6 km from beginning to end, the Dubai Metro stops at more than 45 stations all over the emirate of Dubai… Helping commuters reach their offices, schools, shopping destinations, hospitals, airports and more.

From start to finish

In the year of 2005, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum gave the executive order to Dubai Rapid Link to start building the Dubai Metro with the cost of 12.5 billion Dirhams.

Initially covering just a Red and Green Line, the Dubai Metro’s Red Line would start from Rashidiya Station to Jebel Ali Station and the Green Line would start from Dubai Airport to Dubai Healthcare City.

Almost two years later, approximately 7,000 people were working on various sites across Dubai to finish the transportation system by 2010. And by the New Year, 60 percent of the pRed Line plan had already been completed.

By November of 2007, almost 16,000 employees were working on site and HH Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum inspected the completed part of the Dubai Metro himself – driving a car through the tunnel to ensure the progress of the project.

The Japanese manufacturers, Kinki Sharyo, built a total of 79 five-car trains for the Dubai Metro – 60 for the Red Line and 19 for the Green Line. All car trains carry 643 seats and more standing passengers. Residents and tourists using the metro can choose from three classes of accommodation: gold class, women and children and regular silver class.

The first metro journey

When the news of the completion of the Dubai Metro hit Dubai residents, many were excited to have an alternative transportation method – and that’s when September 9, 2009 became a recognised date for the folks in the city.

At exactly 9:09pm of the day, HH Sheikh Mohammed became the first person ever to swipe the metro’s first ticket to take the first of several journeys on the Dubai Metro. By the 14th of the month, approximately 42,782 passengers had taken the Red Line and by December 9th, almost six million Dubai residents have rode the metro.

Back in 2009, a NOL metro ticket would have costed you around 20 Dirhams for a silver ticket and today a ticket will cost you 25 Dirhams inclusive of the 5% VAT.

Looking forward to Expo 2020

With the highly anticipated Expo 2020 around the corner, Dubai has been gearing to arrange suitable preparations for the universal exposition, which will be opening on October 20th of that year.

And along this exciting project, three other metro routes have been proposed to help ease the vast number of visitors heading towards the city – Route 2020, Purple Line and Blue Line.

The construction of the Route 2020 Line (a 15 KM extension of the Red Line) started in December of 2017 and is expected to start from Nakheel Harbour to the Expo 2020 facility. And will be completed by May 2020.

While the Purple and Blue Lines have not started construction yet.

With almost 49 metro stations to date, the Dubai Metro has been nothing but successful in helping residents manoeuvre around the city and will continue to do so for many birthdays to come.