When the £4.5 billion Dubai Metro was opened in 2009, it was the world’s most integrated and technologically advanced urban and the largest automated driver-less train system. Initally operating with 70 kilometres of running track and 47 stations, nine of which were underground, the Dubai Metro was predicted to carry some 1.2 million passengers per day making for an annual likely total of 355 million passengers per year. These targets were reached and passed in 2014. From a fire safety perspective, the Dubai Metro has some of the most sophisticated fire protection and safety measures yet seen in a new railway scheme.
The success of the Dubai Metro reflects the recent growth of new Middle East rail projects. The anticipated railway construction boom finally kicked off with $108 billion contracts awarded in 2013, a staggering jump from the $3.9 billion awarded during the same period in 2012. Estimates currently suggest there are $194 billion worth of Middle East rail projects currently underway or in the pipeline.
The plan for the 2,177 km long GCC rail network will link all six Gulf states by rail, providing an alternative to air or sea travel for both goods and passengers across the region. The $200 billion project is due to be fully operational in 2018 and will run down the Gulf coast from Kuwait, through Saudi Arabia to the UAE and Oman, with branches linking Bahrain and Qatar.
Discussions have also taken place between Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and with Kuwait and Iraq on connecting the Arabian Mashreq (Eastern) to Maghreb (Western) networks. Designs of a causeway to link Bahrain to the GCC railway is expected to be approved and there are plans to link Muscat with Yemen. Work on New urban Metro systems in Riyadh and Doha is also progressing.
