Plans have been unveiled for an underground transport network in Dubai.
The proposed integrated underground system is part of wider efforts to reshape mobility above and below ground, said Mattar Al Tayer, director general of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority.
At the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum on Tuesday, Mr Al Tayer said an RTA team was examining the proposed network, which could form part of a broader transformation of the city’s transport infrastructure.
He described a future in which mobility extends beyond conventional roads and public transport to encompass three dimensions: the ground, the sky and underground.
“The Dubai of the future will be a city that moves in three dimensions," said Mr Al Tayer. "Journeys in the sky that cut travel times to a matter of minutes; smooth movement at ground level through flexible roads and wider green spaces for walking, social interaction and enhanced quality of life.
"And an innovative underground system that moves people, goods and services, redefining how space is used, creating new opportunities for investment and prosperity, and enabling more efficient and sustainable mobility.
“Through this transformation, we are redefining how space is used, opening up new opportunities for investment and prosperity, while enabling mobility that is more efficient and sustainable,” Mr Al Tayer said.
A video included with Mr Al Tayer's presentation showed an ambitious vision of the future for Dubai, with air taxis swooping across the skyline as buses travel on an underground road network and metro trains and futuristic pods glide into pristine stations.
Mr Al Tayer said Dubai records more than 11 million journeys on its roads each day, equal to more than 7,000 a minute.
More than six million people move around the city during daylight hours, a figure he said is expected to double by 2040.
He said the emirate’s approach to transport planning was shaped by a principle instilled by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai: rather than wait for the future, Dubai should create it.
The RTA also has a goal for one in every four journeys in Dubai to be autonomous by 2030. Driverless taxis have travelled more than four million kilometres in the past year, Mr Al Tayer said.
Dubai is moving towards commercial urban air mobility, with the opening of its first air-taxi station planned for this year.
He said the emirate’s infrastructure investments had delivered savings exceeding Dh319 billion ($86.8 billion) and added Dh156 billion to its economy.
Going underground
Tuesday's announcement was the latest in a line of recently unveiled transport projects focusing on the city's underground.
Earlier this year, The National reported how construction was under way on the Dubai Loop, a high-speed underground transport network led by the government in partnership with Elon Musk's Boring Company, aimed at cutting congestion in the city.
The RTA said in February that the first phase of the underground project would cost Dh565 million and connect DIFC with Dubai Mall as using autonomous Tesla cars. The first four stations are to be in Burj Khalifa, DIFC 2, Zabeel Dubai Mall Parking and ICD Brookfield Place.
The network will eventually cover 22km and consist of 19 stations. The final cost is estimated at about Dh2 billion.
The emirate's transport chief is exploring options to meet the demand created by Dubai's increasing population, which had crossed 4.5 million by the end of last year.
The emirate's population reached 4.58 million, representing an increase of 7.5 per cent year-on-year, government statistics revealed.
Last month, The National reported how the Boring Company was planning to build 150km of tunnels in the Emirates after it raised $3 billion in a funding round, led by the UAE.
This was followed by last week's announcement that Elon Musk's firm had signed an agreement to explore underground transport, utility tunnels and related infrastructure opportunities in Abu Dhabi.
