Tunnelling work begins on Dubai Metro Blue Line

• Half of 30km Blue Line is underground
• 1.3km bridge will cross Dubai Creek
• Due to open in September 2029

Tunnelling work has started on the 15.5 kilometre underground section of the Dubai Metro’s 30km-long Blue Line.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, announced the start of tunnelling operations on Sunday, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported.

Tunnelling works will proceed in three directions from International City 1 Station towards Mirdif, Auto Market and Al Warsan (International City 2).

The metro project, which broke ground in June 2025, is currently 20 percent complete, with more than 10,000 workers and 500 engineers deployed. Construction is set to reach 30 percent by the end of 2026.

The AED20.5 billion ($5.6 billion) Blue Line project, approved by Sheikh Mohammed in November 2023, will have 14 stations and is scheduled for completion in September 2029.  

The Turkish-Chinese consortium delivering the project is currently constructing the piers of the 1.3km bridge crossing Dubai Creek. 

“Construction at the stations is progressing at an accelerated pace and has exceeded planned completion rates,” the statement said.

Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority, which is overseeing the project, has established two ready-mix concrete batching plants and two precast concrete storage sites in Al Ruwayyah 3 and International City.

The move supports quality control and enables full control over manufacturing and supply chains. It reduces implementation timelines and improves logistics efficiency amid the regional conflict affecting supply chains.

Last month, Dubai announced the AED34 billion Gold Line, expanding the transport network by a quarter.

The Gold Line will connect 55 major real estate developments that are under construction, Sheikh Mohammed said.

• Work begins on Dubai’s ‘20-minute city’ masterplan
• War tests Dubai’s off-plan property market
• Aldar says all 141 UAE construction sites are active

The Dubai ruler has already asserted the emirate will not stop work on its projects but will accelerate the pace of development. 

“Our projects are moving ahead and work will not stop. On the contrary, the pace will accelerate. We remain committed to a clear development agenda,” he said.

The $9 billion Gold Line is scheduled to complete in September 2032 when it will join up with the existing Red and Green lines.

The line will thread dense apartment towers with far-flung villa communities and Etihad Rail hubs, but the lift to property prices will be selective rather than system-wide, analysts told AGBI.