dubai — To serve the mass transit needs of the City of Arabia project, the Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group has signed an agreement with the Metrail monorail system from Metrail AG of Switzerland.
City of Arabia is a spectacular $5billion retail, residential, commercial and entertainment destination lying at the gateway to Dubailand. A self-contained 20 million sq. ft. community designed to minimise the use of cars, the development will be served by its own monorail system, which will transport residents and visitors to and from a designated Dubai Metro station around the site.
Ilyas Galadari, Chairman of the Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group said, “Taking care of people from the moment they arrive at City of Arabia is paramount. Visitors to the community will be able to go to the many attractions using a safe, efficient and environmentally sound transportation system.”
“From the outset, we looked for a monorail system that would complement our aggressive build programme,” said Mustafa Galadari, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group. “The Metrail system requires no electrical infrastructure, while its light weight allows imaginative station and guide-way designs. Metrail’s advanced technology guarantees low operation costs.”
Syed Khalil, Group Executive Director for City of Arabia, added, “Cost is always an issue; the Metrail system works out to less than $20 million per km, a figure which is competitive to the world’s top five mass transit suppliers.”
The network will consist of a 6km dual guide-way with 11 stations and six 2-car trains. The first section of the alignment will be operational in 12 to 18 months.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com