Work on the latest addition to the Dubai Metro network has begun, with the upgrade expected to transform the north-east of the city, easing traffic congestion and establishing a direct link with Dubai International Airport.
On Monday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, wrote on X that the foundation stone for the line’s first station has been laid, adding that it represents an “architectural icon”. Located in the Dubai Creek Harbour area, it will be called the Emaar Properties station and will be the highest metro station in the world at 74 metres.
The Dh18 billion ($4.9 billion) project will include 14 new stations and add 30km to the Metro network, with 15.5km underground.
The expansion is part of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan launched in January last year, which included easier commuting among its top priorities to cater for a fast-growing population.
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority said the Blue Line would connect five principal urban regions of Dubai – Bur Dubai/Deira, Downtown/Business Bay, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Marina/JBR and Expo City Dubai.
When completed, the Metro network will be 131km long and encompass 78 stations served by 168 trains.
Here, The National takes a look at what has been announced.
Where will Dubai Metro Blue Line go?
The new line will comprise two main routes that start with connections from the Red and Green Lines.
The first route is to begin in Al Jaddaf at the Creek Interchange Station on the Green Line and will cross Dubai Creek on a 1.3km bridge.
The route will pass through new stations at Dubai Festival City, Dubai Creek Harbour and Ras Al Khor, before reaching Dubai International City 1, which is an interchange station.
The line continues towards Dubai International City 2 and 3 and on to Dubai Silicon Oasis, with the route ending at Academic City. This part of the line section is to span 21km and features 10 stations.
The second route connects with the Red Line in Al Rashidiya at the Centrepoint interchange station.
It will connect with new stations at Mirdif and Al Warqaa, before connecting with the interchange station at Dubai International City 1. The new line on this section is to be 9km and will include four stations.
The travel time between these destinations is anticipated to be from 10 to 25 minutes.
The project also includes the construction of a metro depot at Al Ruwayyah 3, beyond Academic City.
When will it be completed?
The project is scheduled to be finished in 2029, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Dubai Metro.
Tenders for the project have already been launched, with the awarding of the contracts to contractors expected to take place next year.
Tunnelling for the underground sections of the routes and stations will start in 2025. The first trials are expected to take place in 2028.
Will the stations be any different?
The design of the stations will be largely in keeping with the current Metro routes, but the Blue Line will feature two noteworthy stations.
The RTA said Dubai Creek Harbour would have an "iconic station" with a "distinctive architectural design" that will complement the surrounding modern residential and commercial towers.
The station will be designed by global architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, which designed Burj Khalifa, the Denver Union Station in Colorado and the Willis Tower in Chicago.
The other notable Metro station will be the underground site at International City, which will be 44,000 square metres – the largest underground interchange station in the network.
It has been designed to accommodate about 350,000 passengers a day.
What are the long-term benefits?
While the project will cost Dh18 billion, the RTA said the it would have economic, social and environmental benefits for the city.
By 2040, the project is projected to yield a benefit-cost ratio of 2.60 (Dh2.60 in benefits for every Dh1 spent), with total anticipated benefits exceeding Dh56.5 billion by 2040.
The project will help to reduce traffic congestion on its routes by 20 per cent and increase the value of land and properties near stations by up to 25 per cent, the RTA said.
It estimated that the Blue Line will serve 200,000 passengers a day by 2030, increasing to 320,000 a decade later. When it opens, 50,000 university students from Academic City are expected to make use of the line.
It is designed to handle an estimated capacity of about 56,000 passengers an hour in both directions, at a service interval of about 1.5 minutes.
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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