Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Metro Station to undergo massive expansion
The news was announced by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in collaboration with Emaar Properties. Why is it being expanded?
According to RTA, it is to accommodate growing passenger demand, particularly during New Year's Eve, public holidays, and national events and holidays.
It includes an expansion of the station's area from 6,700 to 8,500 square meters, which will increase its hourly capacity from 7,250 to 12,320 passengers. This marks a 65% increase. RTA has stated once the station is ready, it will serve up to 220,000 passengers per day.
Speaking on the expansion project, His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority stated, 'The Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Metro Station is a key hub in the Dubai Metro network, thanks to its strategic location near Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, and Downtown Dubai. It serves as a convenient and efficient gateway for residents and visitors, particularly during large-scale events and holidays, particularly New Year's Eve, Eids, national events, and public holidays.'
He added that the project is a response to the rising demand for metro services. Over New Year's Eve alone, passengers exceed 110,000. The numbers come from visitors and residents who visit Downtown Dubai to view the stunnig Burj Khalifa laser show and fireworks.
Quoting the numbers, Al Tayer stated that since opening in early 2010, 'Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Metro Station has experienced consistent growth in usage. Passenger numbers rose from 6.13 million in 2013 to 7.254 million in 2016, reaching 7.885 million in 2019, averaging 43,000 boarding and alightings daily. In 2022, the figure climbed to 8.827 million, surpassed 10.202 million in 2023 (56,000 daily average), and exceeded 10.577 million in 2024, with nearly 58,000 daily boarding and alightings.' More about the project
The project will also enhance pedestrian bridges and add additional escalators and elevators. Additionally, there will be separate entry and exit gates to optimise passenger movement.
Additionally, the new space will allow for increasing the number of fare gates. Commercial spaces can also be set up to boost revenue.
Further elements will include integration with public transport and other mobility modes, along with landscaping enhancements.
At the moment, RTA has not announced when this project will begin or its end date, but we will let you know as soon as we find out. Further expansion plans
Remember, construction for the Dubai Metro Blue Line is also in full swing, so the RTA is keeping itself very busy.
The Blue Line is expected to be ready for operations on September 9, 2029. For those of you in the know, you will acknowledge that this is a nod to the opening of the Red Line, which opened on September 9, 2009, aka 09-09-09.
You can read more about the Dubai Metro Blue Line here.
We're also curious if other Dubai Metro stations, including Business Bay, will follow suit. We will just have to wait to find out.
@rta_dubai
Don't miss a thing; follow What's On on Instagram , Facebook, and TikTok for the latest news, events, and everything in between…
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Emirates 24/7
7 hours ago
- Emirates 24/7
RTA Gears Up for Back-to-School Season with Innovative Awareness Initiatives
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is all set for the new academic year 2025–2026 through a comprehensive plan that includes a package of traffic improvements around schools and a series of innovative awareness initiatives directed at students, drivers, and parents. These efforts form part of RTA's commitment to promoting traffic safety awareness among students, a key pillar of Dubai's traffic safety strategy, and in support of the nationwide awareness campaign led by the Ministry of Interior under the theme 'Traffic Safety for School Students.' RTA will resume the rollout of its awareness programmes, comprising more than four key initiatives. Among them are the 'Golden Rules for Generations' Safety' programme for middle school students, the 'Hello, My School' programme targeting kindergarten and primary school children, and the 'Virtual Driving Licence' programme for high school students. The Authority will also support major school events at the start of the academic year, in addition to distributing educational gifts to students. These gifts will feature printed QR codes linking to digital designs that present traffic safety instructions in an engaging way. Commenting on the initiatives, Hussain Al Banna, CEO of RTA's Traffic and Roads Agency, said: 'RTA is committed to supporting traffic safety in school zones for all students and education staff in the Emirate of Dubai. Our expanded back-to-school plan, developed in collaboration with Dubai Police, includes providing drivers and parents with proper guidance on safe practices when dropping off and picking up students. The plan also involves distributing awareness gifts to parents containing safety tips, alongside student-focused gifts carrying messages on safe street crossing and avoiding danger zones around school buses and family vehicles when boarding and alighting.' Al Banna added: 'We expect the number of students in Dubai schools this year to reach 400,000, across more than 230 public and private schools, representing over 185 different nationalities and cultures. This diversity poses significant challenges, including the need to provide the best conditions and services to improve the learning environment and avoid traffic accidents. With the cooperation of our government and private sector partners, RTA has played a vital role in ensuring that Dubai schools have remained free of traffic-related fatalities in recent years, recording zero fatalities since 2010.' He further noted: 'RTA is expanding its network of electronic signboards near schools, which display drivers' speeds, with additional modifications encouraging motorists to reduce speed and wear seatbelts. We continue to spread awareness messages to drivers and parents through social media platforms, outdoor advertisements, and customer service centres. Furthermore, we are working closely with our partners at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority and Emirates Schools Establishment to share safety messages with students and parents, providing them with the necessary instructions to avoid traffic accidents in school areas.' Over the past years, RTA has successfully implemented the School Zones Project, which included reducing speed limits around schools, taking traffic-calming measures, deploying smart signboards, providing safe pedestrian crossings, and painting red road markings labelled 'School Zone' in both Arabic and English to remind drivers that they are within a designated school area. At the start of the new academic season, Al Banna called on all stakeholders, parents, and drivers to fully comply with traffic safety measures when transporting children to and from schools. This includes using the designated pick-up and drop-off areas, refraining from stopping in spaces allocated to People of Determination or emergency vehicles, and adhering to school bus signals and signs. He emphasised the importance of vigilance and attentiveness to student movement around school zones, reducing speed, and following traffic signs and signals. Such practices, he affirmed, form a protective shield for students and help ensure a safe start to an inspiring, accident-free academic year.
Dubai Eye
2 days ago
- Dubai Eye
Hatta hydroelectric plant begins power export trial to Dubai grid
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced the start of trial operations of electricity export from the pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant in Hatta to Dubai. The plant will have a production capacity of 250 megawatts (MW), a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours, and a lifespan of up to 80 years. The peak electricity demand in Hatta is approximately 39 MW, and the surplus will be exported to Dubai. The project is designed to generate electricity using water stored in the Hatta Dam and the upper dam with a turnaround efficiency of 78.9 per cent. It uses the potential energy of water stored in the upper dam, converting it into kinetic energy as it flows through a 1.2-kilometre subterranean tunnel. This kinetic energy rotates the turbines, converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, which can be supplied to DEWA's grid within 90 seconds to meet demand. To store energy, clean power generated at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be used to pump water back to the upper dam, converting electrical power into kinetic energy in the process. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA visited the plant and was accompanied by Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation (Power & Water) at DEWA; Khalifa Al Bedwawi, Project Manager; and the project team. Al Tayer affirmed that the project is in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development across the Emirate of Dubai. It also supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, which aim to provide 100 per cent of Dubai's total energy production capacity from clean sources by 2050. During the visit, Al Tayer toured the power generation station building, which was constructed 60 metres underground, and was briefed on the operation of the station's two main water valves, each weighing approximately 110 tonnes. He also inspected the station's command and control centre and witnessed an operational test of the water pumping and power generation. The visit included the upper dam, built by DEWA as part of the project, with a total water surface area of 210,000 square metres. The dam comprises two compressed concrete walls: a main wall 72 metres high and 225 metres long, and a side wall 37 metres high. The upper dam has a storage capacity of around 5.3 million cubic metres (1,166 million gallons) of water. Al Tayer highlighted that the hydroelectric power plant in Hatta, with an investment of approximately AED1.42 billion, is part of DEWA's efforts to diversify energy production from renewable and clean sources in Dubai. These include technologies such as solar photovoltaic panels, concentrated solar power, and energy storage in batteries.
TAG 91.1
2 days ago
- TAG 91.1
Hatta hydroelectric plant begins power export trial to Dubai grid
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced the start of trial operations of electricity export from the pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant in Hatta to Dubai. The plant will have a production capacity of 250 megawatts (MW), a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours, and a lifespan of up to 80 years. The peak electricity demand in Hatta is approximately 39 MW, and the surplus will be exported to Dubai. The project is designed to generate electricity using water stored in the Hatta Dam and the upper dam with a turnaround efficiency of 78.9 per cent. It uses the potential energy of water stored in the upper dam, converting it into kinetic energy as it flows through a 1.2-kilometre subterranean tunnel. This kinetic energy rotates the turbines, converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, which can be supplied to DEWA's grid within 90 seconds to meet demand. To store energy, clean power generated at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be used to pump water back to the upper dam, converting electrical power into kinetic energy in the process. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA visited the plant and was accompanied by Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation (Power & Water) at DEWA; Khalifa Al Bedwawi, Project Manager; and the project team. Al Tayer affirmed that the project is in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development across the Emirate of Dubai. It also supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, which aim to provide 100 per cent of Dubai's total energy production capacity from clean sources by 2050. During the visit, Al Tayer toured the power generation station building, which was constructed 60 metres underground, and was briefed on the operation of the station's two main water valves, each weighing approximately 110 tonnes. He also inspected the station's command and control centre and witnessed an operational test of the water pumping and power generation. The visit included the upper dam, built by DEWA as part of the project, with a total water surface area of 210,000 square metres. The dam comprises two compressed concrete walls: a main wall 72 metres high and 225 metres long, and a side wall 37 metres high. The upper dam has a storage capacity of around 5.3 million cubic metres (1,166 million gallons) of water. Al Tayer highlighted that the hydroelectric power plant in Hatta, with an investment of approximately AED1.42 billion, is part of DEWA's efforts to diversify energy production from renewable and clean sources in Dubai. These include technologies such as solar photovoltaic panels, concentrated solar power, and energy storage in batteries.
