10 Years of Dubai Metro

10th Anniversary of

Dubai MetrO

A gulf news sponsored supplement

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

Vision on track

The Dubai Metro is fulfilling the aspiration of the UAE by being one of the most wellrun mass transit operations in the world

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he Dubai Metro has been a triumphant journey of the human spirit, of ingenuity, innovation and drive, fortified by the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary last week, the Dubai Metro, operated by the Roads and Transport Authority, has successfully ferried more than 1.5 billion passengers ever since it was launched more than a decade ago on September 9, 2009.

A dream comes true On the eve of the anniversary, as reported by Gulf News, Shaikh Mohammad recalled the moment when the dream for such a mass transit system was born. “I was 10 years old when I visited London in 1959 with my father who insisted to see a train’s cockpit. 50 years later, Dubai Metro came true in 2009. Nothing is impossible if you

can dream it,” he tweeted.

With a route length of 75 kilometres, The Dubai Metro was awarded the Guinness World Record for the longest, driverless mass transport, a record that was only surpassed in 2016, by the Vancouver and Singapore metro networks.

One of the pioneers in urban rail networks in the Arab world, the Dubai Metro was designed and built by Dubai Rail Link (DURL), a consortium made up of Japanese companies including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation, Obayashi Corporation and Kajima Corporation, and Turkish firm Yapı Merkezi.

The project management and construction management services were handled by a FrenchAmerican joint venture between Systra and Parsons Corporation.

The rapid transit rail network is an amalgam of the Red Line and Green Line, with one more under construction.

All Dubai Metro trains are fully automated and driverless, and,

Shutterstock

together with stations, are air conditioned made possible with the train’s unique platform edge doors.

Global architecture firm Aedas designed the metro’s 45 stations, two depots and operational control centres, with the Al Ghurair Investment group being

the metro’s builders. Engineering consultancy Atkins provided full multidisciplinary design and management of the civil works on Dubai Metro.

A resounding success Within the first two days of its operation in 2009, more than

110,000 people, or nearly 10 per cent of Dubai’s population used the Metro.

Again, in record fashion, Dubai Metro transported its first 10 million passengers in a remarkably short span of time between its launch on September 9, 2009 through to February 2010, using

the 11 stations that were operational on the Red Line.

In a study released last year, the details of which were published by Gulf News, Dubai Metro brought in cumulative benefits of Dh66 billion to the Emirate’s economy see overleaf

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10th Anniversary of Dubai Metro

SUNday, SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

By the numbers

Continued from page 1

Vision on track since its launch. Jointly conducted by the RTA and Henley Business School, University of Reading, UK, the study, which covered the period between September, 2009 and the end of 2016, analysed the direct and indirect impact of the Metro, factoring in internationally-recognised economic indicators including the cost-benefit ratio of this mass-transit system.

The study revealed that the benefits from Dubai Metro eclipsed the combined capital investment and operational cost of the 75km long network, which stands at Dh41 billion, yielding a Dh1.6 benefit for every Dh1 spent on metro, a number that is expected to shoot up to 2.5 dirhams and 4.3 dirhams in 2020 and 2030, respectively, with the accumulated benefits going up to Dh115 billion and Dh234 billion for the respective years.

The study underlined Dubai’s keenness to invest in improving and widening its infrastructure, which forms the backbone of competitiveness for cities and countries.

Economic driver Mattar Al Tayer, the Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said, “The infrastructure in general and roads in particular play a massive role in supporting economic, social and tourist activities, boosting the integration of the local economy, and enhancing GDP,” as reported in Gulf News.

He added that quality of roads and transport infrastructure represent the key measures of global competitiveness.

The RTA-Henley study examined the capital and operational costs of the Metro and matched them with the financial benefits of the project in the form of tariff

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Number of stations that are currently operational

75 km

Current length of Dubai Metro, with expansion projects currently under way

110,000

Gulf News Archives

revenues, increase in operational jobs and appreciation in the value of properties in the surroundings of Metro stations.

Material benefits included increasing consumer surplus of Metro users (residents, citizens, tourists), raising foreign investment, reducing mobility and vehicle operation costs, curbing carbon emissions, decreasing traffic accidents, cutting road maintenance costs, and boosting employment prospects, Al Tayer explained.

Tracking expansion Dubai Metro’s Red and Green lines run underground in the city centre as well as on elevated viaducts. Currently running 79 trains, Dubai Metro will add 50 more trains to its inventory. While 35 will join the existing trains, the remaining 15 will be put into service on Route 2020, as reported by Gulf News.

The Red Line’s first section,

which covered 10 stations, was ceremonially inaugurated at 9:09:09 pm on September 9, 2009,

by Shaikh Mohammad, with the line opening to the public at 6 am the next day on September 10.

The Dubai Metro Red Line runs between Rashidiya and UAE Exchange (Jebel Ali), passing Dubai International Airport, though Deira and Bur Dubai, before following Sheikh Zayed Road.

Up to seven more metro stations are being added to the current number of stations on the Red Line as part of a major expansion plan for the Red Line that was announced in April, 2015.

The expansion project or Route 2020 adds a further 15 kilometres of track, extending the Red Line from Ibn Battuta Station up to the Expo 2020 site.

As reported by Dubai Metro, the 15-kilometre branch will start at Nakheel Harbour and Tower on the existing Red Line before

running on a 11.8-kilometre-long viaduct section with stations that will serve The Gardens, Discovery Gardens and Al Furjan. The stations at Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Investment Park would be on a 3·2-kilometre underground section, before ending at the terminus at the Expo 2020 site.

Tracking expansion The trial operation for Route 2020 is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2019, with passenger services due to begin on May 20, 2020, five months ahead of the opening of the Expo.

The journey time from the Expo site to Dubai Marina is expected to be 16 minutes. Roads & Transport Authority had awarded the contract to build Route 2020 in June to the Expolink consortium of Alstom, Acciona and Gülermak.

The Red Line connects to the Green Line at Union Metro Station and BurJuman Metro Station.

The Green Line winds its way through Deira and Bur Dubai, and generally runs parallel to the Dubai Creek. Consisting of 20 stations, the Green Line runs from Etisalat to Dubai Creek, covering a distance of 22.5 km. The Green Line is also up for extension, starting from the existing Al Jaddaf Station all the way up to Academic City, Dubai, adding a further 20.6 kilometers to its current length in the process.

According to the RTA, Route 2020 will have the capacity for 23 000 passengers/h per direction, with initial ridership expected to be 125 000 passengers per day and rising to 275 000 by 2030. RTA expects that 35 000 passengers will use Expo station each week day and 47,000 per day at weekends, making up one-fifth of the forecast number of visitors to Expo 2020.

The metro extension forms part of RTA’s strategy to increase the public transport model share from 15·3 per cent to 20 per cent by 2020.

> people Number of people using Dubai Metro in first 2 days after its launch

1.5

billion > Number of passengers who used Dubai Metro services in the last 10 years

Dh66b

Cumulative benefits that Dubai Metro earned until 2018 since its launch in 2009

ADVERTISERS’ CONTENT

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Celebrating 10 years of happiness with Dubai Metro A

decade ago, ZOOM started as the exclusive convenience brand for the Dubai Metro. As the brand congratulates the network for celebrating its 10-year landmark, more than 40 ZOOM stores dot both the red and green lines, serving thousands of commuters each day.

Whether one takes a ride to explore the happiest spots across the city, or travel to and from work, there’ll always be a ZOOM store close by, offering the freshest of food options, everyday essentials, and health and beauty products.

ZOOM’s cheerful team is always ready to assist with bill payments, telecommunication needs, laundry services or to help pick the perfect gift for that special moment. ZOOM’s goal is simple and straightforward - to offer convenience and smiles, across all communities — and that’s exactly what they’ve been doing for 10 years, since the brand’s launch in 09.09.09.

Despite being a relatively young brand, ZOOM has made its mark as the fastest growing convenience store in the region.

By ensuring a brisk and hasslefree experience for its customers, the brand has gained the trust of millions of ZOOM-ers, holding the ‘UAE Superbrand status’ for six years in a row now; ZOOM Metro was awarded for its ‘Best Store Design’ in the 2012 InRETAIL Summit and ZOOM Market was named ‘Most Admired Retailer of the Year — Food and Grocery’ in

the 2012, 2014 and 2017 Retail Middle East Awards, and received “Most Effective Campaign of the Year” for its Comicon Campaign in 2018.

Adding to their fleet of stores across fuel stations, metro stations and commercial as well as residential communities, ZOOM outlets are spread across luxury and elite destinations such as the Burj Khalifa, ROVE Hotels, Sofitel Dubai Downtown, and Burj Al Salam. Today, there are over

220 ZOOM outlets in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain.

Much like Dubai’s ever-expanding Metro Transit System, ZOOM is growing each day to connect people, make lives easier, and to serve all with the best of smiles.

ZOOM has been there since the very beginning of Dubai Metro, and the brand takes this occasion to wish the world’s largest driverless network a very happy 10th anniversary.

10th Anniversary of Dubai Metro

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

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ADVERTISERS’ CONTENT

Shubh Zaika

Authentic Indian and Arabic fare in a welcoming ambience L ocated at Century Plaza in Jumeirah 1, Shubh Zaika serves authentic Indian and Arabic Food, offering various delicacies and varieties with the finest spices that will leave your appetite satisfied.

Shubh Zaika serves the finest traditional Indian dishes with a touch of typical desi spices and Arabic food with the glory of local dishes that reflect the culture of herbs and spices. Preeti Jenna, the owner of Shubh Zaika, arrived in Dubai less than two years ago. Hailing from New Delhi and growing up in Mumbai, with her in-laws hailing from Orissa on the east coast, Preeti came to the UAE looking for that rich and distinct Indian food taste, the kind of food that will remind you of home.

Some of her favourite Indian dishes are kachori chaat of Karol Bagh, mutton biryani, kabab, raan, dal makhani, dal Bukhara and pindi chole, as well as the delicious, tasty food of Old Delhi with Kaleva sweets, lassi, jalebi, vada pav and missal pav, juice from Malad Juice Corner, chola bhatura, alu chaat, from Mumbai, south Indian food of Matunga, the halwa of Karachi, and the rasgulla of Orissa. She combed the whole of Dubai, from the streets of old Deira and Sheikh Zayed Road to Downtown Dubai and up to the Burj Khalifa but was unable to find that authentic taste of the spice mix so unique to Indian food.

Dubai is a city with a unique food landscape, with more than 200 nationalities calling the city home, and while she noticed that Indian nationals were among the biggest spenders here in the UAE, when it came to food, many restaurants fell short of her expectations because they lacked authenticity.

She knew that in India, for at least every 60 kilometres – you would

find people speaking a different language and wearing a different dress. Even the taste of water would differ, say from Rajasthan to Gujarat and Maharashtra and back to Delhi. She then decided to put all these different but exclusive tastes on one plate and call it Shubh Zaika. Her two top priorities to have that authentic Indian food taste, and exceptional quality.

With a seating capacity for almost a hundred guests, Shubh Zaika is one of Dubai’s favorite all day Indian – Arabic family restaurant. With luxurious wooden interior, soft, soothing and muted hues paired with live entertainment including mesmerizing ghazal and Bollywood music, the restaurant

will make you feel as if you are dining in old India.

Aside from serving various vegetarian dishes like navratna korma, paneer butter masala, palak paneer, vegetarian diwani handi to non-vegetarian dishes like bhuna ghosht, chicken pyaza, chicken kadhai, prawn curry and lamb shank, Shubh Zaika now offers a LIVE FISHING station!

The first restaurant in Dubai to offer this new dining experience, you can catch your own hamour, lobster and crab along with other types of seafood and have them cooked the way you want.

Our own chaat and shawarma counter is also open, serving up all kinds of Indian street food,

from pani puri, bhel puri and samosa chaat to dahi puri, sev puri, aloot chaat and more. Perfect, when you’re feeling peckish but not up to having a full meal.

A great assortment of kulfis in traditional mud kullad are also available in Shubh Zaika as any meal is incomplete without dessert. A must try is Matka Kulfi (traditional Indian ice cream in a clay pot) and we guarantee, it’s rich, dense and creamy texture will surely have you coming back for more.

Shubh Zaika also serves Karak and Tandoori Tea for all tea lovers out there.

Let’s take a look at what our visitors have to say about us: “Lo-

RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED Shubh Zaika Restaurant Level 1, Century Plaza Building (Opposite La Mer) Phone Number: 04 380 1414 www.shubhzaika.com Follow us in Social Media Facebook & Instagram: @ shubhzaika cated in Jumeriah near West zone super market, This newly opened restaurant is quite a hit among everyone. The crowd-puller is definitely the chat menu and the beautiful interior. Great attention has been paid to details and the results are just pleasing to the eyes.

Portions are good for sharing and food was very tasty. Full marks for hospitality. I would say it's A must visit for Chat Lovers! “

“Shubh Zaika is yet another my delicious food discoveries in the city. True to its name, it certainly provides 'Zaikadar'(delicious) food packed with amazing blend of spices and flavours that it will keep you wanting for more.” “The interiors are so vibrant with different colors and creative seating arrangement. Something that took my heart away was the M.F Hussain painting on the wall.”

Dubai Metro’s success drives mass transit usage up More than 1.5 billion passengers have availed of Dubai Metro’s services since its launch ten years ago, aiding in greater usage of mass transport services in the Emirate he Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced a 6.5-percent increase in riders on public, shared transport and taxis for the first half of 2019, as reported by Gulf News early last month. Up to 296.22 million riders used public and shared transport according to the RTA, compared to 277.91 million riders for the same period last year. The average daily ridership of mass transit during the first six months of this year amounted to 1.618 million riders.

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UAE Exchange

10 happy years on the Dubai Metro he train to UAE Exchange Metro Station is something that many of us would have heard while travelling towards Jebel Ali in the Dubai Metro. But do you know that UAE Exchange, a leading financial services brand in the UAE since 1980, has 18 branches on the Dubai metro network?

UAE Exchange first opened its metro branch in one of the busiest metro stations, BurJuman, and brought the financial services closer to customers who are constantly on the move. The outlet’s success led to the opening of 17 more branches across major metro stations. And in 2015, the financial brand earned the rights to re-

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brand the Jebel Ali Metro Station on the Red Line to UAE Exchange Metro Station.

Today, with nearly 40 per cent presence across the metro stations, UAE Exchange, a homegrown brand and a Finablr company, has the largest branch network on the Dubai Metro network among banks and exchange houses. What also sets UAE Exchange apart from other brands is the convenience, speed and value it offers its customers.

On-the-move customers can visit any of the UAE Exchange branches on the Dubai metro network to transfer money, exchange foreign currency or make instant payments. The financial brand

also offers a multicurrency prepaid card that enables the cardholder the best foreign currency exchange rates and gives customers an easy, seamless and secure way to carry money in a foreign country.

With the Dubai Metro ridership increasing year-on-year, the financial brand has also been witnessing a rise in cross-border payments services and the exchange of foreign currencies.

As the Dubai Metro celebrates its 10th anniversary, UAE Exchange congratulates the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai on achieving this milestone and giving the residents 10 years of happy journeys.

Dubai Metro leads Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said, “Dubai Metro has accounted for the highest number of public and shared transport users (amounting to 34 per cent), followed by taxis (30 per cent), and public buses (27 per cent). Dubai Metro Red and Green Lines have lifted 101.68m riders during the first half of this year (66.14m riders for the Red Line and 35.54m riders for the Green Line).

“The two interchange stations of the Metro Red and Green lines (Burjuman and Union Stations) have received the largest number of riders. Burjuman Station has served 6.348m riders, and the Union Station, 5.359m riders. On the Red Line, Al Rigga Station was the most populous station as the number of users reached 4.813m users. On the Green Line, Al Fahidi Station topped the list by serving (3.910m) riders,” he elaborated.

March was the busiest month during the first half of the year attracting about 53.198 million riders of public transport means, according to Al Tayer. Sharing a breakdown of the ridership in March, the RTA official said: “18.1m riders used Dubai Metro, 15.7m riders used taxis, 14.3m riders used public buses, 3.2m riders used shared transport (e-Hail and Smart Car Rental), 1.3m riders used marine transit modes, and 555,000 riders used the tram service.

Other modes During the first half of 2019, Dubai Tram lifted 3.169m riders, public buses served 79.268m riders, marine transport means (abra, ferry, water bus, water taxi) ferried 7.2m riders, as reported

by Gulf News. Shared transport means (e-Hail and Smart Car Rental) have served 17.74m riders. Taxis (Dubai Taxi, Hala Taxi

and Franchise Taxis) have lifted 87.813m riders.

Public transport culture on the rise Delighted with these indicators, Al Tayer said, “RTA’s integrated public transport network has become the backbone of the people movement. It has coasted an evolution in public culture towards the use of mass transport. People started to grasp the benefits of using public transport such as peace of mind, physical relief, higher safety and lower expenses on cars.

The figures achieved confirm this concept as the ratio of trips using public and shared transport has almost tripled from 6 per cent in 2006 to 17.5 per cent in 2018 with a CAGR of about 9.3 per cent.

“RTA’s strategic and executive plans are focused on offering integrated and smooth transit solutions in the Emirate.”