Dubai's RTA awards $5.6 billion contract to build Metro Blue Line

Turkish and Chinese consortium awarded contract, with line due to start running on September 9, 2029

The Dubai Metro Blue Line will have 14 stations and add 30km to the network. Photo: Dubai Media Office

Dubai has awarded the Dh20.5 billion ($5.6 billion) contract to build the Metro Blue Line, designed to tackle traffic congestion as the city expands to accommodate a growing population.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) awarded the contract to a consortium of three Turkish and Chinese companies – Mapa, Limak and CRRC, Dubai Media Office said on Thursday.

The Blue Line will cover 30km and have 14 stations. The project is scheduled to be completed on September 9, 2029, with construction slated to begin in April 2025. The completion date is 20 years to the day since Dubai Metro opened, initially with 10 Red Line stations, on September 9, 2009.

The Blue Line will offer “sustainable and flexible public transport solutions that enhance mobility for residents and visitors, elevate quality of life, and strengthen Dubai’s position as a global hub for events and activities”, said RTA director general Mattar Al Tayer.

“The Blue Line also supports urban planning initiatives like the 20-minute city, ensuring that over 80 per cent of services are accessible within a 20-minute commute, while promoting transit-oriented development.”

When completed, the Blue Line, together with the Red and Green Lines, will connect five urban regions of Dubai – Bur Dubai and Deira, Downtown and Business Bay, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence, and Expo City Dubai.

Once the Blue Line is complete, the Dubai Metro will be 131km long and have 78 stations, served by 168 trains.

The Blue Line's 30km will comprise 15.5km of underground tracks and 14.5km of elevated tracks and will carry more than one billion passengers by 2040.

It will feature three interchange stations: Al Khor on the Green Line, Centrepoint on the Red Line, and International City, according to a statement from Dubai Media Office. A “signature architectural station” will be built in Dubai Creek Harbour.

The Blue Line will also feature Dubai Metro’s first crossing over Dubai Creek via a 1,300-metre bridge. “The new line ensures seamless connectivity and integration between Dubai Metro's Red and Green Lines through two routes,” Mr Al Tayer said.

Economic benefits

The Blue Line is expected to generate Dh56.5 billion in economic benefits by 2040, driven by savings in time, fuel consumption, reduced road accident deaths, and lower carbon emissions, according to Mr Al Tayer.

“The Blue Line project of Dubai Metro is projected to yield Dh2.60 in economic, social, and environmental benefits for every dirham invested by 2040,” he said. It will reduce traffic congestion on key roads by 20 per cent and boost the value of land and properties surrounding its stations by up to 25 per cent, according to the statement.

It will offer direct connections between Dubai International Airport and key areas along the route, with travel times ranging from 10 to 25 minutes. With a capacity of 46,000 passengers per hour in both directions and a train frequency of approximately two minutes, the Blue Line is expected to serve nearly 200,000 passengers daily by 2030, according to the RTA. This is set to increase to 320,000 passengers daily by 2040.

Dubai Metro now carries more than 850,000 riders daily and has transported nearly 2.5 billion passengers since its launch, according to Mr Al Tayer. It currently accounts for 60 per cent of all public transport users in the emirate, he said.