'We are prepared': Dubai Metro now flood-proof with new measures, says top official

Permanent measures have been implemented to prevent flooding of Dubai's infrastructure and metro stations following the unprecedented rainfall in April, which brought a record-breaking downpour.

That's according to a top official from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), who highlighted that forward-thinking solutions are in place to ensure flooding does not recur either in the existing Red or Green lines of Dubai Metro or the upcoming Blue Line that will be operational from September 2029.

Mattar Al Tayer, the Director General and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said, "The flooding that occurred was not due to flawed metro design; it was an unprecedented event that we had never experienced before in our lifetime, with rainfall reaching 250mm in less than 24 hours.

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"Some metro stations were located in low-lying areas, which made them particularly vulnerable. Designing for a 20-30 year lifespan can result in astronomical costs. However, we are now aware of the areas where we faced challenges, and if a similar situation occurs, flooding will definitely be prevented."

Installation of barriers

He reiterated, "The UAE averages 140-200mm of rainfall annually, making this event unmatched. Given the rarity of such rainfall, there was no prior precedent to account for this magnitude. But I assure you we have since implemented 'future-proof solutions' to ensure flooding does not recur. Protective barriers have been installed at vulnerable stations, and all identified problem areas have been addressed."

The record-breaking April rains and subsequent flooding across the country resulted in the closure of Onpassive, Equiti, Mashreq, and Energy stations for several weeks, with residents resorting to alternative modes of transport.

"Our colleagues in the Rail Agency have taken extensive measures to prevent such incidents in the future. Long-serving team members who understand the challenges have collaborated to develop robust protections. Lessons learned from the Red Line flooding incident have been applied comprehensively, and we are confident this situation will not be repeated. I can assure you that we are well-prepared for any similar occurrences in the future," said Al Tayer.

Resilient to climate change

The Dh20.5 billion allocated for the new transport project considered the challenges posed by climate change, including heavy rainfall and flooding, which not only disrupt transportation networks but also increase maintenance costs.

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