Dubai unveils plans for underground transport network

Dubai has announced plans for an underground transport network, part of a broader effort to transform mobility in the emirate, according to Mattar Al Tayer, director general of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Speaking at the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum on Tuesday, Al Tayer said an RTA team is studying the proposed integrated underground system, which could be a component of a wider overhaul of the city’s transport infrastructure.

Three-dimensional mobility vision

Al Tayer described a future where movement extends beyond traditional roads and public transport to include three dimensions: ground, sky, and underground.

“The Dubai of the future will be a city that moves in three dimensions,” Al Tayer said. “Journeys in the sky that cut travel times to a matter of minutes; smooth movement at ground level through flexible roads and wider green spaces for walking, social interaction and enhanced quality of life.”

“And an innovative underground system that moves people, goods and services, redefining how space is used, creating new opportunities for investment and prosperity, and enabling more efficient and sustainable mobility,” he added.

“Through this transformation, we are redefining how space is used, opening up new opportunities for investment and prosperity, while enabling mobility that is more efficient and sustainable,” Al Tayer said.

A video shown during his presentation depicted an ambitious vision of Dubai’s future, featuring air taxis crossing the skyline, buses on an underground road network, and metro trains and futuristic pods arriving at pristine stations.

Autonomous and air mobility targets

Al Tayer noted that Dubai records more than 11 million journeys on its roads daily, equivalent to over 7,000 per minute. More than six million people move around the city during daylight hours, a figure he said is expected to double by 2040.

The emirate’s transport planning is guided by a principle instilled by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai: rather than wait for the future, Dubai should create it, Al Tayer said.

The RTA aims for one in every four journeys in Dubai to be autonomous by 2030. Driverless taxis have travelled more than four million kilometres in the past year, Al Tayer said.

Dubai is moving toward commercial urban air mobility, with the opening of its first air-taxi station planned for this year.

Infrastructure investments have yielded savings exceeding Dh319 billion ($86.8 billion) and added Dh156 billion to the economy, Al Tayer said.

Underground projects and population growth

Tuesday’s announcement is the latest in a series of recently unveiled transport projects focusing on underground infrastructure.

Earlier this year, The National reported that construction was under way on the Dubai Loop, a high-speed underground transport network led by the government in partnership with Elon Musk’s Boring Company, aimed at reducing congestion.

The RTA said in February that the first phase of the underground project would cost Dh565 million and connect DIFC with Dubai Mall using autonomous Tesla cars. The first four stations are to be at Burj Khalifa, DIFC 2, Zabeel Dubai Mall Parking, and ICD Brookfield Place.

The network will eventually cover 22km and consist of 19 stations, with an estimated final cost of about Dh2 billion.

The emirate’s transport chief is exploring options to meet demand created by Dubai’s growing population, which had crossed 4.5 million by the end of last year. The population reached 4.58 million, a 7.5% year-on-year increase, according to government statistics.

Last month, The National reported that the Boring Company was planning to build 150km of tunnels in the Emirates after raising $3 billion in a funding round led by the UAE.

Last week, the company signed an agreement to explore underground transport, utility tunnels, and related infrastructure opportunities in Abu Dhabi.