A bold new chapter in Dubai’s transport story began this week as His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, laid the foundation stone for the Dubai Metro Blue Line, a transformative project set to connect nine major districts and move over 300,000 passengers daily by 2040.
During a special ceremony held on Monday, Sheikh Mohammed reviewed the grand vision and infrastructure plans behind the 30-kilometre extension, which will feature 14 new stations and 28 trains, officially launching on September 9, 2029.
One of the most striking moments of the day came with the unveiling of the design for the Emaar Properties Station, set to become the world’s highest metro station at 74 metres. Designed by global architecture giants Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the masterminds behind the Burj Khalifa and Chicago’s Willis Tower, the station will resemble a golden cylindrical gateway, reflecting Dubai’s future-forward vision.
A Metro Line with History and Ambition
The event also featured a tribute to the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, whose early aspirations for a railway line in Dubai were showcased in a nostalgic photo gallery, including rare images of his train travels in the UK, the original inspiration for the Dubai Metro.
The Dh20.5-billion Blue Line project, awarded to a consortium of Mapa, Limak, and CRRC, is expected to serve over 200,000 riders by 2030, with that number climbing to 320,000 daily passengers by 2040.
Built to ease congestion and enhance urban mobility, the Blue Line will cut traffic by 20% in the areas it serves, aligning with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which anticipates more than one million residents in these zones.
A Gateway to the Future
Covering 11,000 sqm, the new Emaar Properties Station will accommodate up to 160,000 passengers a day, designed to blend into the city’s evolving skyline while setting new global standards for urban transport.
“This isn’t just a metro line,” Sheikh Mohammed said in a statement, “it’s a promise for the future, connecting people, districts and dreams.”
Stay tuned as Dubai redefines what a modern city on the move looks like.