Dubai Metro's success goes beyond passenger numbers

The average daily number of Dubai Metro passengers was more than 616,000 last year. Antonie Robertson / The National

If a city’s lifeblood is its transport system then Dubai – whose Metro has carried more than 2 billion people since opening in 2009 – has a clean bill of health.

This milestone figure was released by Dubai Media Office on Sunday as crowds of people enjoying the long Eid Al Fitr weekend thronged the almost 90km-long network that runs parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road, forming the spine of the city. The Arabian Peninsula’s first mass transit system has become an integral part of Dubai life over the years and has served its people admirably.

The numbers speak for themselves. The Metro has maintained a punctuality rate of 99.7 per cent amid a growing population, the UAE’s post-Covid economic boom and a major line expansion for Expo 2020 Dubai. As conferences, summits and events returned to the Gulf’s leading commercial and tourism centre, the Metro contributed to the more than 621 million journeys made on Dubai public transport in 2022 — an increase of 35 per cent on the previous year.

Dubai Metro's 129 trains and 53 stations contribute to a transport mix that allows Dubai residents to access different parts of the city. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The Metro’s indispensability for millions of people is not in doubt. Its 129 trains and 53 stations contribute to a transport mix that allows those many Dubai residents without a car — and plenty who do — to access different parts of the growing city for work and leisure. It is a critical part of a complex and interlinked web of trams, trains, buses, marine transport and even bicycles that leaves few parts of Dubai unserved.

It is perhaps the Metro’s centrality to getting around Dubai that makes the 2-billion milestone particularly significant. Although the average daily number of Metro passengers was more than 616,000 last year, according to the Roads and Transport Authority, out of Dubai’s 119 bus lines, 35 link to Metro stations. This allows passengers — residents and visitors alike — to use the city’s NoI electronic ticketing system to effortlessly switch from one mode of transport to another.

The Metro links Dubai International Airport with the rest of the city, and connects bus passengers arriving from other emirates at stations like Ibn Battuta and Al Ghubaiba. It also links up with Dubai Tram, the 14.5km network that serves Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Media City, among other destinations.

That this system has remained so advanced while staying affordable is an achievement. A study released by e-commerce company Picodi last March found that a NoI silver card monthly pass for all Dubai travel zones costs Dh350 ($95), which is only 2.3 per cent of the average net wage in the UAE. The price of a Noi silver card single ticket for more than two zones — Dh7.5 — is significantly cheaper than comparable journeys in other developed cities such as Paris, Toronto and New York.

Transport is free for senior citizens, children under 5 and people of determination, something that also speaks to how accessible Dubai is. And unlike subway systems in some other major cities, crime on the Metro is largely unheard of — a fact that contributes to the UAE's enduring attraction as a place to visit and live in.

As Dubai continues to grow and prosper, its residents can be proud of their Metro — an engineering feat that not only gets people from A to B, but also reduces the number of cars on the road, thereby helping the city to meet its ambitious environmental targets. How long it will take to reach 3 or 4 billion passenger journeys is anyone’s guess. But with Dubai Metro becoming as much a part of the landscape as Burj Khalifa or the Frame, its reputation as a key part of the city is secure.