Infrastructure

Dubai awards $5.6bn metro contract to Turkish-Chinese consortium

December 19, 2024, 6:01 PM

Passengers on the Dubai Metro. The planned Blue Line will connect with the existing Green and Red routes

Blue Line due in 2029
14 stations over 30km
Three consortia in final stage

Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded the AED20.5 billion ($5.6 billion) contract for the Dubai Metro Blue Line project to a consortium of three Turkish and Chinese companies.

Three consortia advanced to the final stage before the contract was awarded to Mapa Group from Turkey, in partnership with Limak (Turkey), which will oversee civil works, and Chinese state-owned CRRC, which will handle rail systems.

Construction for the project, which spans 30 kilometres and includes 14 stations, is expected to begin in April next year.

RTA director general Mattar Al Tayer said the consortium was chosen following an international tender process that attracted five alliances comprising 15 global companies specialising in metro systems and infrastructure.

The new line is expected to be operational by 2029, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Dubai Metro red line.

The blue line project has two main routes that connect with the existing Green Line at Al Jaddaf and the Red Line at Al Rashidiya. The routes converge at Dubai International City and extend to the metro depot at Al Ruwayyah 3.

The RTA said the blue line will connect the city’s five principal urban regions – Bur Dubai/Deira, Downtown/Business Bay, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Marina/JBR and Expo City Dubai.

It will also connect current and future high-density areas, including Dubai Creek Harbour, Festival City and International City.

The authority said the new line is anticipated to reduce traffic congestion by 20 percent and boost the value of land and properties surrounding its stations by up to 25 percent.

“The total benefits of the project are expected to exceed AED56.5 billion ($15.3 billion) by 2040, driven by savings in time, fuel consumption, reduced accident-related fatalities, and lower carbon emissions,” Al Tayer said.