1279iExtra22

April 2017 BLNI Extra No. 22 – Planned and present railways in the Arabian Gulf

[C30] Bahrain/Kuwait/Oman/Qatar/Saudi Arabia/UAE – The pan-Gulf rail network
The concept:- The pan-Gulf Railway is planned to connect the six Arab Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC)-
member states of the Arabian Gulf, and would be 2,177km-long if fully completed, with 200 km/h diesel
trains travelling across borders to boost trade. The cost would be shared by the six countries in proportion
to the length of main line in each country. The six member countries are: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (this portion being called Etihad Rail).The planned railway
would extend from Kuwait's border with Iraq to Salalah in southern Oman with possible future extension
to Yemen from Oman and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia plans to connect and expand existing tracks to
Dammam to provide access to its capital city, Riyadh. A GCC Rail Authority was established in 2011 to
oversee the development of the network and some construction began.

Progress:- The project has met hurdles on account of challenges with the financing of the project, and lack
of alignment of the interests of the six states involved. The expected date of completion of the project is
uncertain, given the lack of clarity on the exact scale and operating model of the venture. Phase 1 of
Qatar’s stretch of the GCC Railway Network comprises a 143km line that will link its border with Saudi
Arabia. Qatar Rail floated tenders for the project’s oversight in summer 2015 but subsequently put these
activities on hold. The MD of Qatar Rail claimed that Qatar was waiting for its neighbours to commence
work. The decision of the UAE in January 2016 to suspend part two of its rail project (links to neighbouring
countries) led to Oman putting a freeze on construction of its links as well. The situation at May 2016 was
that a freeze on the pan-Gulf rail network was announced and was interpreted as a sign that GCC states

were dropping collaborative infrastructure projects for independent economic policies, as low oil prices
continued to bite. In October 2016 it was announced that the construction timeline for the GCC Railway
Network had been pushed back by three years. According to a senior Emirati official, Gulf leaders have
agreed to a new ‘ceiling’ of 2021 for the project’s completion. The prognosis as at January 2017 is for
continuing delay until oil prices increase and all countries commit to construction of their part of the
proposed railway.

[C31] Bahrain – A railway planned and designed but not started
The multi-billion dollar project to build the Qatar – Bahrain Causeway, a road and railway link, has been
underway since the beginning of 2001, but has not progressed beyond the design stage. If built it will be
approximately 40 km in length with over 16 km of embankments and 24 km of viaducts and bridges,
including two bow-string arch bridges soaring up to 35 metres above shipping channels. The design is for a
double track line designed for high speed trains (250 km/h) as well as heavy freight trains at maximum
speeds of 120 km/h and 25 t/axle. It would be the world's longest fixed rail link and reduce the journey
time between Bahrain and Qatar from five hours (presumably by car) to thirty minutes.

[C32] Bahrain - The Bahrain Monorail
Most of the population of the island kingdom of Bahrain live in and around the capital, Manama. Despite
the new highway cutting through the city, traffic congestion is a problem and a rail based transportation
system has been on the agenda for some years. A Metro system was the expected outcome, though a
monorail had been discussed for years.
The project was unveiled in 2008, with construction planned to start in 2009. However, construction was
repeatedly delayed. The country's minister of transportation and communications announced in 2016 that
detailed studies for the 105km Bahrain railway network would be finalised in the first quarter of 2017.
Finally, the Government has decided that this will be a monorail train network with the 23km (or 25km,
both figures are widely quoted) Green Line being the first to be constructed. The 17 station Green Line will
extend from Juffair through Manama to the Seef district. By 2030 the original plan envisaged six lines in
operation, including the Green Line.
The Blue line, from Juffair to the Northern City and Budaiya
The Brown Line, from Manama to the University and Bahrain Circle;
The Orange Line, from the airport to Diar Island;
The Pink Line, connecting Hamad Town, Riffa, Isa Town, Sitra, and South Manama;
The Red Line, from the airport through Manama to the Qatar-Bahrain causeway.

[C33] Qatar - The Lusail Light Rail Transit (LLRT)
Lusail is a new city planned to house 200,000 people, being built 15km north of the capital, Doha. Lusail
Stadium will host 2022 FIFA World Cup matches, so the LLRT is meant to ensure that there are no
difficulties with access for supporters. The 38.5 km network of four lines will have 32 stops, including seven
stops which are underground. Design started in 2007, earthworks and excavations for the cut-and-cover
tunnels began in March 2009 and the tunnel construction started in March 2010. The ground works for the
underground stations commenced in June 2011. As of June 2014, all of the excavation works and more
than 7km of the tunnels had been completed, in addition to the access viaduct across the Al Khor highway.
The main civil works of seven underground stations and four above-ground stations were also completed

by that time. The Lusail LRT will be operated with a fleet of 35 Alstom Citadis trams which will run on a
catenary-free electrification system except inside the tunnels where a dual-power connection with a
catenary system will be installed. The Alimentation Par le Sol (APS) technology installed in the trams will
allow ground-level power supply from a third rail, avoiding the need for overhead cables. There will be
four lines (Red, Green, Purple and Yellow) with two interchange stations at Legtaifiya and Lusail Central
allowing passengers to continue to Doha by the Doha Metro. Opening is planned for 2020.

[C34] Qatar - Long Distance Passenger and Freight Rail
Qatar Rail have an ambitious heavy rail construction program meant to connect cities in the north and
west with Doha, and the country with the forthcoming GCC rail system. At present construction has yet to
start, however at the beginning of February 2017 Qatar Railways issued a request for expressions of
interest for a design and build civils contract. An initial prequalification process for Phase 1 had begun in
early 2014 but has to be repeated as the tender is now scheduled for release in the middle of 2017.
Phase 1 of the project consists of design and construction of 135km of operational slab track railway using
diesel rolling stock. The passenger line will link Doha International Station to the Saudi Arabian border at
Abu Samra. Freight services will link Abu Samra with Doha Intermodal Freight Yard, New Doha Port
Container Terminal and Mesaieed Port.
Phase 2 is for Doha West to Bahrain and Doha West to NDIA
Phase 3 is for Al Khor to Ras Laffan, Doha West to Doha City, Freight Yard to Ras Laffan and Al Khor
Industrial Area to Doha Industrial Area
Phase 4 is for the remainder of network, originally planned for 2030.
When complete there will be nine passenger stations on 486km of rail network. Local passenger trains will
run at up to 200km/h and freight at 120 km/h. High speed trains will run at 270 km/h. There are long term
thoughts of electrification with high speed trainsets travelling at 370 km/h. Forward thinking members will
have spotted potential for a future rail tour as the maps below show some lengthy freight lines and non-
passenger curves.

[C35] Qatar – The Doha Metro
Doha is the capital of Qatar and has developed as an ultra-modern city with skyscrapers, wide highways
and prestige projects all funded from oil money. With affluence has come traffic congestion and a need to
link the two widely separated centres – the financial area and the Old Town. The Doha Metro is planned to
solve these problems and is scheduled to become operational by the end of 2019. It will have four lines
with an approximate overall length of 300 km and 100 stations and will be an integral component of the

larger Qatar Rail network, which will include a long-distance rail for passengers and freight, linking Qatar to
the GCC, and Lusail's city local light rail transit (LLRT). Construction officially began with a ground-breaking
ceremony at the site of Msheireb station, which will act as the hub for not only the Metro but also the
entire Qatar Rail network. Tendering for phase 1 began in early 2013 for the Red and Green Lines. Progress
has been rapid and currently stands as follows.
Drilling work with the 21 TBMs (a world record number for those interested in such trivia) was completed
on 25 September 2016. Digging out 111km of tunnels for the first phase of the public transportation
system took about two years. On 4 December 2016 the company celebrated a major milestone with the
completion of all viaducts (8.7km of them, made up of 2,293 segments) across the elevated sections, three
months ahead of schedule. Inauguration of Hamad Port six months ahead of schedule was also announced.
Overall completion of Doha Metro currently stands at 51%.

Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre station of the Doha Metro was still under construction in January 2017

Qatar Rail has now begun focusing on installing electrical equipment and completing the structure of the
37 stations that make up the first phase. By the third quarter of 2017 the first driverless train (of 75) is
scheduled to be delivered and 70% of the project should be completed by the end of 2017. The metro is
slated to open to passenger traffic in late 2019 or early 2020. It will initially be comprised of three lines:
red, green and gold all of which will radiate out from a central interchange at Msheireb in downtown
Doha. Phase 2 will see the Blue line completed by 2026, providing a semi-orbital service.
Msheireb station is the largest station in Doha and is situated at the corner of the Msheireb development
where Wadi Msheireb and Al Diwan Street meet. Msheireb Station marks the crossing of three metro lines

with the Red and Green Lines running parallel and the Gold Line situated underneath. The station will
feature an extravagant entrance shelter as a landmark for locals and tourists alike. Large sections of the
Doha Metro will be underground: 11.3 km for the Red Line North, 12.05 km for the Red Line South, 16.6
km for the Green Line, and 13.3 km for the Gold Line. The 75 three-car driverless trainsets for the metro
system will be supplied jointly by Japanese companies Mitsubishi Corporation and Kinki Sharyo.
A member visited Doha in January 2017 and observed numerous tower cranes and construction sites
alongside the Corniche highway which follows the semi-circular coastline (semi-circular because it was
built on reclaimed land). His hotel partly overlooked the Msheireb station construction area which was
extremely busy but clearly mainly at the below ground level at the moment.

[C36] Kuwait – Plans, but little else
From the Kuwait Metropolitan Rapid Transit System (KMRT) webpage:
In line with Kuwait’s national strategy for implementation of modern urban transportation systems, the
Ministry of Communication is seeking a private partner to implement the Kuwait Metropolitan Rapid
Transit System (KMRT) project. The project will help define the future direction of public transport in
Kuwait, paving the way for future public transportation projects. The KMRT system will consist of an
integrated network-unified fleet and limited passenger interchange. The system will comprise 69 stations
with a total length of 160km. The trains will be driverless with an operation speed of 90kph, and a
maximum speed of 100kph. The project will unfold in 5 phases, with phase 1 operations expected to
commence in 2020.
From the Kuwait National Rail Road (KNRR) web page
One of Kuwait’s key infrastructure development initiatives is the implementation of an advanced public
transportation system. As such, the Ministry of Communication (MoC) wishes to develop a railway system
which will link Kuwait city to Kuwait airport, seaports, and other GCC countries.
The Kuwait National Rail Road System will be an integrated rail network with 511 kilometres of double
track. The Rail Road system will serve freight and passengers and will have a 120 km/hr regional lines
speed and a 200 km/hr high speed. The project will be implemented as a build, operate, and transfer (BOT)
agreement.
The project timescales anticipate appointment of a Technical Advisor in the first quarter of 2017 and a
request for tenders in the last quarter.

[C37] Oman – Past and Present Railways
In the Second World War a narrow gauge railway was constructed by the RAF on the Indian Ocean island of
Masirah and used until the 1960s after which it remained in occasional use until 1977, when the base and
the island were handed over to the Omani government.
There were no other railways in Oman until the Al Hoota Cave opened to the public as a show cave in
2006. All visitors board an air-conditioned electrified narrow gauge railway which runs from the visitor
centre around the foot of the mountain, into the mountainside itself and up to the cave entrance.

New electric trains were introduced in 2011

[C38] Oman - Plans for railways in Oman
Oman has been looking to mine a wealth of untapped minerals as part of their diversification plans. This
is along with more ambitious plans to become a new hub for sea trade to the Arabian Peninsula. In 2013, a
company was established to manage the development of a planned standard gauge rail network of
2135km. Diesel traction would be used on the double track railways with an axle loading of 32.4 tons.
Signalling would be ERTMS/ETCS Level 2.
The first section was planned to be from the port of Sohar to Buraimi on the border with UAE, where it
would connect with Etihad Rail. A consortium led by Spain's Tecnicas Reunidas secured contract for project
management consultancy on the 207km first phase in February 2015. The operations and maintenance
contract for the first phase, where eight companies were in the running, along with the civil works
contract, with five companies shortlisted, was expected to be awarded by the end of 2015, but both failed
to materialise. This was due to falling oil revenues which forced Etihad Rail in the UAE to suspend the
second phase of its national railway network, the 628km line from the Omani frontier near Al Ain to
Ghweifat on the Saudi border. With no railway to connect to in the UAE, the Omani Government decided
to delay, but not cancel, the first phase.
As well as the first phase, Oman was in the initial phases of planning stage two of its railway network, the
240km line from Haifait to Fahoud, which is divided into two sub-phases: the 114km section from a
junction with phase one at Haifait to Ibri, and a 126km link from Ibri to Fahoud.
Oman Rail had also prequalified more than a dozen groups from various countries for construction
contracts for the next three phases of the network which cover more than 1200km. The status of these
projects is now unclear.
The latest from 2016 is that Oman Rail look to be pressing ahead with a domestic Fahud-Duqm railway
line. The central Oman desert plain, which would be linked with this line, is sparsely populated but holds
huge mineral resources.
In 2013, a feasibility study was commissioned for a metro or light rail transit system in the capital, Muscat.

.

[C39] United Arab Emirates - A visit to the Dubai tram system
The Dubai Tram (previously known as the Al Sufouh Tram) is located in Al Sufouh in the southwest of the
Dubai conurbation. The southwestern end is a one-way loop with the rest of the system being a branch
heading northeast. The first 10.6-kilometre-long section serving 11 stations was ceremonially inaugurated

on 11 November 2014, with the line officially opening for public service at 06:30 on 12 November 2014. On
the loop section there are interchanges with Jumeirah Lakes Towers Station and Dubai Marina Station of
the Dubai Metro's Red Line by means of footbridges over a wide highway. Our member left the Red Line
station of Jumeirah Lakes Towers, walked over the bridge and descended to ground level to reach Dubai
Tram’s Jumeirah Lakes Towers station, electronically ‘tapped in’ using his 24 hour Nol card (there’s a 400
Dirham fine if you don’t) and immediately boarded a tram. The Dubai Tram is the world’s first tram
network to use platform screen doors at the stations, exactly like the Metro system. This allows the
stations to be air-conditioned, and makes the air-conditioning on the tram itself more efficient.
There were observed to be two platforms, but only one was in use. The system is the first tramway project
outside Europe to be powered by the ground-based electric supply system, first used in Bordeaux, so there
is no overhead power supply. After Dubai Marina Mall (they’re big on Malls in the Emirates) there is a
triangular junction, not shown on the map.

The pattern of operation is for trams to run from Al Sufouh to Dubai Marina, then take the curve to the
Jumeirah Beach Residences, completing the loop by returning to Al Sufouh via Dubai Marina Mall and
Dubai Marina. This means the curve from Dubai Marina to towards the Jumeirah Residence stations has no
passenger service, and indeed was observed to be rusty where not polished by vehicles crossing it. Some
major roads have to be crossed using traffic lights, and signs warn of heavy fines for vehicles not keeping
clear. Road discipline is very good in all the Gulf States, so this doesn’t present a problem. Al Sufouh is the
present end of the line, but the tracks continue for some distance to the depot and will form the basis of a
future extension. At present terminating trams pull forward, crossover and reverse to get to the other
platform.

Al Sufouh is currently the end station of the Dubai tram system. A tram waits to depart with another tram visible in the distance. This
has just arrived in the right-hand platform and departed out of the station to crossover and form the next service from the left-hand
platform. Note the air-conditioned buildings with platform doors like the Metro. Summer temperatures can reach 50oC.

Having ‘tapped out’ when leaving the station for a picture, it was necessary to ‘tap’ back in again to return
as far as Palm Jumeirah where our member left the tram to investigate the Palm Monorail. He did, of
course, return to complete the system!

[C40] United Arab Emirates – Dubai tram to be extended
On 22 December 2016 Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai announced that it has awarded
French firm SYSTRA a contract for phases 2 and 3 of the Dubai tram system. SYSTRA delivered phase one of
the tram system in 2014 and will now, in association with AECOM, take charge of 14 months of transport
planning, preliminary design and invitations to tender, for the second and third phases. Phase 2 of the
Dubai Tram will serve the town’s main attractions, including Madinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Hotel and
Burj Al-Arab, as well as the Mall of the Emirates. Phase 3 will serve the Jumeirah Beach Road to the north-
west of Dubai. The route crosses projects already underway, such as the one-way road system and
consequently, the area between Jumeirah Road and the Al Wasl district is being totally redefined.

[C41] United Arab Emirates – The Palm Monorail
It is planned to extend the monorail south to the Metro Red Line at Dubai Internet City, but until that
happens those wishing to join the monorail from the tram must leave the tram system at Palm Jumeirah
and cross the busy Sheikh Zayed highway by a footbridge, then walk for several hundred metres through a
covered car park to reach the Gateway station which is actually part of the car park building. Nol tickets

(the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority tickets) are not valid as the line is privately owned, so a 25
Dirham (about £5.50) return ticket was purchased.
To put the purpose of the monorail into context, the Palm Jumeirah (sometimes just called the Palm) is the
world’s largest man-made island and is comprised of a two kilometre-long trunk, a crown made up of 17
fronds and a surrounding crescent, all of which looks like a Palm Tree from the air. It is rapidly becoming
covered with luxury homes, hotels and other development and at the ‘top’ of the Palm is the Atlantis
Aquaventure theme park – the destination of the Palm monorail.

Dubai has some enormous and imaginative buildings, and at first sight the monorail appears to have one as its destination. However,
closer inspection of the picture reveals that the tracks diverge right before the big building. Note how the course of the monorail is
far from level, with most of the ups and downs on the first section from Gateway.

The monorail opened on 30 April 2009 and was the first in the Middle East. It uses Hitachi Monorail
straddle-type technology and the trains are driverless, with attendants for any emergency situations. This
means that a marvellous view of the tracks ahead can be obtained at the front of the train and inevitably
there is a rush to claim one of the eight seats there. For a railway enthusiast it is the place to be for the ten
minute 5.45km journey. The tracks are elevated and offer excellent views en-route. Patronage on the
outward journey was good, but overall loadings have been disappointing. The line has a theoretical
capacity of 40,000 passengers per day, with trains running every few minutes during peak hours and every
15 to 20 minutes during off-peak hours. Currently only one of two trains is operating with a turnround
time of 23 minutes. This lack of support is also reflected in the delay in opening the two intermediate
stations, although curiously enough the trains call briefly at both, but without opening the doors. These
are Village Center station (formerly Palm Mall station and also Trump Plaza) and Al Ittihad Park (formerly
Trump Tower station). Yes, it’s THAT Trump. Neither of these two Trump developments will be opening in

the near future apparently. Our member was able to get the best seat on the monorail for the lightly
loaded return journey and took advantage of this by taking numerous photographs.

The monorail train arrives at Atlantis Aquaventure station. The eponymous theme park is directly below at this point.

Just before the Monorail train set off for the return journey, some rather amazing concrete points were switched to allow the train to
return on the other track.

[C42] United Arab Emirates – The Dubai Metro visited
Currently the only Metro in the Gulf States, the Dubai Metro system was an obvious challenge for our
intrepid member, and fortunately a metro station was right next to his hotel. Baniyas Square is on the
Green Line and like all stations in the city centre is subterranean. The ticket machines offer Arabic and
English options, and a standard class (also called Silver) Day Ticket costs 22 Dirham – about £6. Pay cash or
credit card. The person in the little office by the barriers will also sell you a ticket. Just tap the card, the
barrier opens and in you go. You need to know the end station of the line so you go down the correct
elevator. In the case of our member this was Creek. On the platform you realise that you are separated
from the tracks by a glass partition with automatic doors. Trains run every few minutes, and when they
arrive their doors and the platform-edge doors open together. This is for safety and also to maintain the
air-conditioned environment on both train and platform. The station announcements (in Arabic and
English) seem rather unhelpful. ‘The next train for Creek leaves from Creek platform’.

The Creek platform at Baniyas Square metro station showing the glass doors which open when trains arrive. Passengers queue by the
sides of the doors to get on.

It is necessary to be careful about where you get on the train. Gold class (costs double standard class) has
larger seats with extra padding and more legroom and is at the front of one end of the train. It is usually
less crowded, but at busy times you may still have to stand. Next to this is a section for women and
children only. The rest of the train is standard class. The trains are driverless, so travelling in one direction
lucky passengers can get a great view of the track ahead.
Our member took the Green Line all the way to Creek. After the interchange station of Burjuman the line
emerges from tunnel and runs on viaduct. The train emptied rapidly and by the time it reached Creek was
almost empty. The tracks continue a short distance past the elevated station and end in mid-air looking

over the Dubai Creek – hence the name of the station. Only one platform appeared to be in use and was
accessed by a crossover just before the station.

The reason that trains do not run out of Creek station to reverse, and come back in the other platform is clearly evident! In the long
term the line will continue by bridge over the Dubai Creek, but for now it simply ends in mid-air.

The train set off back towards Etisalat within a few minutes and our member left it at Burjuman and
changed platforms for the Red Line following signs for UAE Exchange. This was the first line to be opened
with a ten station section opening on 10 September 2009. Since extended, it is by far the longer of the two
lines (52.1km in fact) and, like the Green Line, after Burjuman runs on viaduct, the tracks wandering up
and down as major roads are crossed. Station names are of several types. Some are named after
neighbourhoods or important buildings while others are named after local companies. Some have made
the transition from the first type to the second type; Al Karama was renamed ADCB (Abu Dhabi
Commercial Bank) in September 2014, Dubai Marina was renamed DAMAC also in September 2014, and
the final station Jebel Ali was renamed to UAE Exchange in June 2015 – which is why all three are wrong on
the map. Our member had assumed that UAE Exchange related to some kind of Metro to road interchange
– logical at the end of a line – but in fact UAE Exchange is actually a financial institution, doubtless paying
heavily for the privilege of the change of name. The tracks continue into the distance, so further extension

is clearly on the cards. Trains pull forward, cross over and reverse into the second platform, an
arrangement that applies to all the end stations but Creek.

UAE Exchange is currently the end of the Red Line. All the above ground stations are built to the same design, and since the Red Line
runs parallel to the Sheikh Zayed Road for much of its length, a lengthy overbridge is also usual.

Our member returned as far as Jumeirah Lakes Towers where he transferred to the Dubai tram. The
journey on the Red line was continued some hours later, all the way to the end station of Rashidiya. The
depot and control centre are somewhere beyond the station. Auxiliary depots are at Jebel Ali and Al-
Qusais.
It remained only to return to the second of the two interchange stations, Union, and change back to the
Green Line toward Etisalat. This calls at two airport stations, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, making transfers
from the City Centre extremely easy and straightforward.

Subsequent use of the Metro by our member in peak periods found it extremely busy with very crowded
conditions on some trains. It seems that this is a long-standing problem (a terrible pun, for which our
member apologises), and in October 2016 the Roads and Transport Authority introduced an extra 276
journeys each week, with some of the extra services being short trips between the busiest stations.

Journeys in which the standard class end of the train is facing forward give money conscious gricers the opportunity to view the track
ahead. Here the train is approaching a station on the Red Line, and after the station the line can be seen rising to go over a major
road.

[C43] United Arab Emirates – Present status and future plans for the Dubai Metro
After much delay, Jebel Ali Station (subsequently renamed UAE Exchange), the terminus of the Red Line on
the Abu Dhabi side was opened on 11 March 2011, and Jebel Ali Industrial Station, renamed Danube
Station (but pronounced Danoob for some reason), was opened on 12 December 2012. The final two
stations, Al Jadaf and Creek, on the Green Line were opened on 1 March 2014. Since then ridership has
increased steadily, resulting in overcrowding in the rush hours and the source of considerable complaint.
In June 2016 the Roads and Transport Authority awarded the Dubai Metro’s Route 2020 contract to the
Expolink Consortium comprising French, Spanish and Turkish firms. The Route 2020 will be linked to the
Red line of Dubai Metro, starting at the Nakheel Harbour and Tower station on the Red line and extending
15km. 11.8km will be on viaduct and 3.2km of the route will be underground and end at the Expo 2020
station. The line will go through seven stations including a transfer station with the Red Line. Construction
work on the project started in the last quarter of 2016 and commissioning is expected to start in the last
quarter of 2019.
The long-term plan, presumably rescheduled due to low oil prices, was for 320km of metro lines to be in
place in Dubai by 2020. An 11km extension to the Green line has been proposed, to cover the route
between Al-Jadaf and International City station. To further reduce the area's reliance upon road transport,
the authority is considering adding 268km of light rail lines which will serve as feeders to the Dubai Metro.
In May 2007, the 49km Purple line received approval, moving ahead of another future projection, the Blue
line. Parsons Brinckerhoff has been contracted for initial design work on the express eight-station line from
Dubai International Airport to Al Maktoum International Airport along Al Khail Road. Construction has yet
to begin on the line. The 47km Blue line is intended to connect the current international airport with the
new Dubai World Central International Airport, which is being built at UAE Exchange, as part of a transport
hub. Construction of this line was supposed to start in 2012 and be completed by 2014. The Yellow line, a
light rail operation, was to be built by a consortium including Serco and Alstom. These projects all appear
to be deferred. The map below gives an indication of what was foreseen a few years ago.

Dubai will start work on designing of the Dubai Metro Green line extension from 2017, according to a
senior Road and Transport Authority (RTA) official. “The Green Line extension will start from the existing
Al Jaddaf station and run to Academic City. It will feature a rail line of 20.6 kilometres and 11 stations both
underground and above ground. This extension will serve urban developments such as Ras Al Khor
industrial area, International City and Silicon Oasis.”
In December 2015, Dubai set aside Dh16.6 billion for infrastructure, transport and economics – an increase
of Dh1.8bn – as part of its 2016 budget. The Emirate aims to extend the total length of the Metro to 110
kilometres by 2020.