His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, attended the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Dubai Metro Blue Line, a key milestone in the expansion of the city’s public transportation network. Spanning 30 km and comprising 14 stations, the new line is set to transform mobility across nine key districts, projected to be home to over one million residents, as outlined in the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan.
His Highness also approved the distinctive architectural design of the iconic Emaar Properties Station, the highest metro station in the world, standing at 74 metres. Inspired by the concept of a crossing gateway, the station was designed by the renowned American architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), one of the world’s leading design studios. The firm’s portfolio includes iconic landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa, the Olympic Tower in New York, and the Sears Tower in Chicago.
The station is designed to integrate harmoniously into the existing urban environment and embodies the vision of ‘Dubai: A Gateway to the Future’. Covering an area of approximately 11,000 square metres, the station is designed to accommodate up to 160,000 passengers per day, with the number of daily users expected to exceed 70,000 by 2040. With the completion of the Blue Line project, Dubai’s rail network will expand to a total of 131 km, comprising 78 stations and 168 trains.
Upon arriving at the venue of the ceremony, His Highness was welcomed by His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority . At the start of the ceremony, His Highness viewed a historical gallery showcasing the dream of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum for constructing a metro line connecting Dubai districts. It included a collection of photographs from His Highness’s visits to several world capitals, as well as rare images of him using the railway network in the United Kingdom, where the idea of constructing a similar project in Dubai was conceived.
