Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) on Monday announced a new direct route on the Dubai Metro Red Line.
It will connect Centrepoint Station with Al Fardan Exchange Station, complementing the two existing direct routes – Centrepoint to Expo City and Centrepoint to Life Pharmacy Station.
It is hoped the new route will help ease crowding on the Red Line during peak hours by giving commuters another option.
Building infrastructure in a growing city
The announcement of the new route comes days after Dubai’s population officially passed four million.
Dubai Metro opened with the Red Line in 2009, expanded to include the Green Line in 2011 and has since continued to grow. It will take another major step forward in 2029 when the Blue Line is opened.
Upgrades to bus services are also being made by the RTA and road improvements have been aimed at cutting congestion.
More than 395 million journeys were made on Dubai's expanding public transport network in the first half of 2025, a 9 per cent increase on the same period last year.
The Dubai Metro has maintained its position as the most popular mode of public transport for passengers in the emirate.
The RTA said 143.9 million trips were made via Dubai Metro from January to the end of June, representing 36.5 per cent of all trips completed on public transport.
What is the Dubai Metro Blue Line?
The Dh20.5 billion ($5.58 billion) project will include 14 new stations, connect with the existing Green and Red lines, and serve expanding neighbourhoods such as Mirdif, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Creek Harbour and Dubai International City.
It will add 30km to the Metro network, 15.5km of which will be underground. When complete, the network will be 131km long with 78 stations served by 168 trains.
The public transport drive is central to the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which has easier commuting among its priorities.
The RTA said the Blue Line would connect five principal urban regions – Bur Dubai/Deira, Downtown/Business Bay, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Marina/JBR and Expo City Dubai.
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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Engine 4.7L V8
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Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
