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Efficient, sustainable, beloved: Dubai Metro marks 14th anniversary

It has become a lifeline that has saved residents and tourists from traffic woes, stress, and financial burdens

Published: Sat 9 Sep 2023, 6:00 AM

Updated: Sun 10 Sep 2023, 8:03 PM

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The Dubai Metro turns 14 today, marking an important milestone for Dubai. The landscape of transportation has changed since its opening on September 9, 2009.

With red and green lines covering the city, the metro has become more than just a mode of transportation, it has become a lifeline that has saved residents and tourists from traffic woes, stress, and financial burdens.

Dubai Metro is one of the most ambitious projects of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). On a daily basis, over 1.7 million people ride on the Metro, and it is considered one of the safest, cleanest, and most accessible modes of public transport in the world. It has a total of 47 stations distributed across 2 lines — Red and Green.

Orkan Rahimli, a restaurateur and businessman said that the metro has saved him time, money, and the stress of commuting on the road before obtaining his travel license. “In the last eight years in Dubai, I have travelled to every metro station in Dubai, for either work or leisure,” said Rahimli.

“I was residing in JBR, and the metro station was a stone’s throw away. In my early days in Dubai, I had to travel everywhere from markets in Deira to business districts and it was best to travel by metro due to its massive connectivity,” said the Azerbaijani National.

For Jatin Gupta, a finance professional residing in JLT, a metro ride to his office in DIFC is the most comfortable mode of transportation, although having a luxury car. “I live beside the metro station and it’s a 2-minute walk from my place. The total journey on the metro is about 20 minutes and in just 25 minutes I reach my office,” said Jatin.

“By reducing the number of cars on the road, it's helping lower pollution levels and conserve resources. It's a sustainable choice that benefits us all,” added Jatin.

Firas Hamdan, a Syrian national working at a real estate firm in Dubai said that his daily metro commute from Internet City to Business Bay is nothing short of a blessing. “The ride is smooth and efficient, and it saves me a significant amount of money. A taxi ride would cost me around Dh45 one way, but by choosing the metro, I spend just Dh5. That means I save Dh45 on each journey. When you do the math, it's almost Dh1000 saved every month.”

“The 25-minute metro journey is not just a time-saver, it's a stress-saver too. It relieves me of the traffic and stress on the road. Dubai Metro has truly transformed the way I live and work in this city,” added Hamdan.

American student Rohan Nihlani uses the metro regularly to go to and from school. “I have a metro station at walking distance from my house as well as school,” he said. "It takes just 40 minutes of travel time. All I have to do is change the metro lines at Burjuman or Union. While coming back, there are several students from my class and grade who also use the metro. So all of us walk together. Some kids who come on the metro are as young as 3-years-old. They travel with their siblings."

The 11th grader also uses the metro to go out with his friends. “We usually go out to the malls or anywhere where there is a metro,” he said. “It is an extremely convenient option for us, as we don’t have to depend on our parents to drop off and pick us up.”

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