Dubai is famous for building upward — the world's tallest tower, artificial islands, record-breaking everything. Now the city is looking in the opposite direction: down. This week, Dubai's transport chief unveiled plans for a vast underground transport network that could reshape how millions of people move around the emirate. Here is what was announced, what is already being built, and what it means for the future of the city.
The announcement: a three-dimensional transport system
On October 13, 2026, Mattar Al Tayer, Director General of Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), took the stage at the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum and laid out a striking vision: Dubai's future transport system will use the ground, the sky, and the underground.
The RTA is now studying a proposed integrated underground network that would work alongside the city's roads, metro lines, and a coming generation of air taxis. The idea is simple but ambitious — when a city can no longer keep widening its roads, it starts digging.
Why Dubai needs to go underground
The numbers explain the urgency. More than 11 million journeys are made on Dubai's roads every single day — roughly 7,000 journeys every minute. Over six million people move around the emirate during daylight hours, and the RTA predicts that figure will double to 12 million by 2040.
Dubai cannot pave its way out of that growth. The underground plan is about adding capacity without consuming the surface — freeing streets for people while moving millions beneath them.
The Dubai Metro Gold Line: the first fully underground metro
The centerpiece of the underground push is the Dubai Metro Gold Line — and unlike the announcement itself, this one is already approved and moving. The AED 34 billion project was approved by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on April 22, with construction contracts to be awarded in 2027 and inauguration scheduled for September 9, 2032.
- 42 kilometres, 18 stations, running from Al Ghubaiba to Jumeirah Golf Estates
- Dubai's first fully underground metro line, reaching depths of 40 metres
- Interchanges with the Green Line at Al Ghubaiba and the Red Line at Business Bay and Jumeirah Golf Estates — expected to cut congestion on the busiest Red Line stretch by 23%
- Links to the Etihad Rail network at Meydan and Jumeirah Golf Estates, connecting Dubai with the other emirates
- Expected ridership of 465,000 passengers per day after 2040
The September 9 date is no accident: Dubai's Red Line opened on September 9, 2009, the Green Line on September 9, 2011, and the Blue Line is scheduled for September 9, 2029. The Gold Line continues the tradition.
The Dubai Loop: Elon Musk's tunnels under the city
The second piece of the puzzle is straight out of science fiction. The RTA signed an agreement with Elon Musk's Boring Company in February to build the Dubai Loop — a network of tunnels carrying driverless Tesla vehicles beneath the city's most congested districts.
The first phase covers about 6.4 kilometres and four stations, connecting the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) with the Dubai Mall area, at an estimated cost of AED 565 million (around $153.8 million). The wider proposal stretches roughly 22 kilometres with 19 stations — including Burj Khalifa, DIFC, Dubai Mall and ICD Brookfield Place — at an estimated cost of around AED 2 billion.
And the ambition goes further: in September it was revealed that more than 150 kilometres of underground tunnels could be built across the UAE by The Boring Company, though exact locations have not been disclosed.
The third dimension: air taxis and driverless journeys
The underground network is only one part of Al Tayer's three-dimensional vision. The other two:
- Autonomous mobility: Dubai aims to make 25 percent of all journeys autonomous by 2030. Autonomous taxis have already travelled more than four million kilometres, building the operational experience needed for commercial rollout.
- Air transport: Dubai has been developing air taxi technology since trials began in 2016, and the first dedicated air taxi station is scheduled to open during 2026.
Add the Etihad Rail, which began passenger journeys this summer connecting Dubai with Abu Dhabi, Fujairah and Sharjah, and a picture emerges of a city rebuilding its entire mobility system at once — on rails, on roads, in tunnels, and in the sky.
What happens next
It is important to separate what is confirmed from what is still a study. The Gold Line and the Dubai Loop's first phase are real projects with budgets, timelines and contracts. The wider integrated underground network that Al Tayer described is still under examination — no construction schedule or budget has been confirmed for it yet.
That is normal for projects of this scale. The announcement signals direction and political backing; the engineering studies, financing and timelines come next. What is already clear is that Dubai has decided its future is not just taller — it is deeper.
Your questions, answered
When was the underground network announced? October 13, 2026, by RTA chief Mattar Al Tayer at the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum.
What is the Dubai Metro Gold Line? A 42 km, 18-station, fully underground metro line from Al Ghubaiba to Jumeirah Golf Estates, opening September 9, 2032.
What is the Dubai Loop? A tunnel network by Elon Musk's Boring Company for driverless Tesla vehicles, starting with a 6.4 km section between DIFC and Dubai Mall.
How much will it cost? The Gold Line is budgeted at AED 34 billion; the Dubai Loop's first phase at about AED 565 million, with the wider Loop estimated at AED 2 billion. No budget has been announced for the full integrated underground network.
Why is Dubai doing this? Road journeys already exceed 11 million a day and are set to keep growing — underground capacity is the only way to add room without more surface congestion.
Frequently asked questions
1. Is Dubai really building an underground transport network?
Yes — the RTA is studying an integrated underground network, and two major underground projects are already underway: the Dubai Metro Gold Line and the Boring Company's Dubai Loop.
2. When will the Dubai Metro Gold Line open?
September 9, 2032, continuing Dubai's tradition of opening metro lines on September 9.
3. What is the Dubai Loop?
A system of underground tunnels designed for driverless Tesla cars, developed by the RTA with Elon Musk's Boring Company. The first phase will link DIFC and Dubai Mall.
4. Will the tunnels connect the whole city?
Eventually, that is the vision — the wider Dubai Loop proposal covers 22 kilometres and 19 stations, and more than 150 kilometres of tunnels have been discussed across the UAE.
5. What about air taxis?
Dubai has tested air taxis since 2016 and plans to open its first dedicated air taxi station in 2026, as part of the same three-dimensional transport vision.
6. How will this affect traffic?
The Gold Line alone is expected to relieve congestion on the busiest section of the Red Line by 23%, while carrying a projected 465,000 passengers daily after 2040.
The city below the city
Dubai built its reputation by defying limits — the tallest, the biggest, the first. Its next act may be invisible from the street: a second city humming beneath the first, moving millions while the surface breathes. If the RTA's vision holds, the Dubai of 2040 will be defined as much by what runs under it as by what towers over it.
What do you think — is going underground the smart answer to megacity traffic? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Sources: Time Out Dubai · The Arabian Post · What's On Dubai · Railway Gazette · Social Kandura · Construction Review Online
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