Video: Dubai Metro commuters set world record for forming longest human chain

Dubai has achieved another Guinness World Record, this time for the most number of nationalities riding the metro together on Thursday.

The feat, which saw commuters coming from 96 countries hopping on the Metro and forming a human chain, was the culmination of the week-long celebration of Public Transport Day organised by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance, and Mattar Al Tayer, RTA director general and chairman of the board of Executive Directors, received the title from Guinness World Records adjudicators at the Etisalat Metro Station. It broke the previous record of 75 nationalities set by Norway in 2013.

"The achievement comes at a very opportune time as we are also celebrating the UAE Flag Day. We are a country of 200 nationalities and this shows the harmony and tolerance in the country that unite us together," said Al Nahyan.

The event is also part of the RTA's 13th anniversary celebration and in line with its mandate to support Dubai's efforts to improve the environment and achieve sustainable development by encouraging the public to use mass transit.

Al Tayer said: "The public transport network has become the backbone of people mobility in Dubai. The number of public transport riders has soared from 163m riders in 2006 to 551m riders in 2017."

"From January to the end of September this year, the public transport network has attracted 410m riders. The Dubai Metro Red and Green lines have served about 1.2 billion riders from the launch of the service in September 2009 to the end of August last."

"Accordingly, the share of public transport in peoples mobility has grown steadily from 6 per cent in 2006 to as much as 17 per cent in 2017, and the RTA is seeking to push it to 30 per cent by 2030," he added.

To make public transport, the ideal mobility choice for people in Dubai, Al Tayer said that the "RTA is planning to widen the bus network to cover 20 new areas and improve the current services across the city based on critical demographic changes by 2020."

"The number of air-conditioned bus stops will increase from 623 to 787 in 2020, and the number of buses will rise from 1507 to 1917 by 2020. RTA will also revamp the marine transit modes, which saw considerable growth following the opening of the Dubai Water Canal linking the Business Bay Canal with the Arabian Gulf," he underlined.

Al Tayer also noted that the RTA had made considerable progress in the extension of the Dubai Metro Red Line to the site of Expo 2020. "Construction works in all metro viaducts are scheduled for completion in the second half of November. The first of the new Dubai Metro trains is expected to arrive in Dubai in the same month. The trial run of trains will start in February 2020," he added.

angel@khaleejtimes.com 

They came from everywhere
Lithuanian tourist Aiste Zdanciute who arrived in Dubai less than a month ago is one of those who joined the record-breaking feat of human chain riding the Metro on Thursday.
She told Khaleej Times: "I find public transport in Dubai very convenient because it's very clean, efficient and not too expensive."
Macedonian expat and Dubai resident Keti Naumcheska added: "I always use the Metro everyday for going to work and I like how efficient it is being run."
Proudly wearing flag pins of their home countries, Farhat Ansar from India, Siham Kaddour from Syria, Manal Karanouh form Lebanon, Diana from Belarus, Caroline from Belgium and Mario from Mexico also joined hundreds of Dubai residents, tourists and Emiratis to achieve the world record.
Last week, around 20 people of determination took the Dubai Metro to promote the use of public transport. They took the Metro from Rashidiya to Jafiliya and from there, hopped on to a public bus and headed towards the Etihad Museum.