Dubai’s RTA and US-based The Boring Company signed an agreement to begin the construction of the 22-kilometre project on 3 February
Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has signed an agreement with Elon Musk-backed firm The Boring Company to begin construction of the Dubai Loop transportation system.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai on 3 February.
The first phase of the project comprises a 6.4-kilometre (km) route with four stations, linking the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Dubai Mall.
The stations will be located at DIFC 2, ICD Brookfield Place, Dubai Mall Zabeel Parking and Burj Khalifa.
The first phase is expected to cost about AED565m ($154m).
This phase is anticipated to be delivered within one year following the completion of design work and other preparations.
The tunnelling works are expected to begin in the second half of this year.
Next phase
The second phase of the project will connect the Dubai World Trade Centre and DIFC with Business Bay.
The tunnels will extend up to 22km and include 19 stations.
The total cost of the project across both phases is expected to be around AED2bn ($545m), with completion scheduled within three years.
In a statement published by the Emirates News Agency (Wam), the RTA said the pilot route is expected to serve around 13,000 passengers a day. The full route is projected to have a total capacity of about 30,000 passengers a day.
The RTA and The Boring Company signed a memorandum of understanding on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai in February last year to explore the development of the Dubai Loop transportation system.
The Dubai Loop is expected to be similar to The Boring Company’s Las Vegas Convention Centre (LVCC) Loop project. The LVCC Loop is a 2.7km underground tunnel system that connects different convention centre halls, reducing walking time across the site to about two minutes.
The LVCC Loop has been in operation since 2021. It uses Tesla Model 3 cars to carry passengers between five stations. The Boring Company began construction in November 2019 at an estimated cost of $49m.
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