21 October 2026
Keolis, the French public transport group that has operated Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram since 2021, is opening a regional headquarters in Dubai. The office will run the group’s Middle East business and pursue new contracts in metro, light rail, intercity and high-speed rail, as well as bus rapid transit networks. Keolis announced the move in October 2026, and Gulf News reported it on 21 October 2026. In the region the group already runs three large networks: Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram for the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), with about one million passengers a day; Doha Metro and Lusail Tram in Qatar since 2018; and, since 2026, the first passenger rail service in the UAE together with Etihad Rail. The announcement does not name the address, headcount or investment of the new office.
What Keolis announced
According to the company statement, the Dubai office will serve as a hub for the group’s operations across the Middle East and help develop new transport projects in the region. Based in Dubai, it is meant to work more closely with the public transport authorities Keolis already serves and to identify new business. Keolis describes its aim as becoming the leading transport operator in the region.
Frédéric Van Heems, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Keolis Group, called the Middle East “a key growth market for Keolis” and said the group has proven it can run trains, metro and tram systems reliably “from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha”. Alistair Gordon, CEO of the Keolis Middle East, Asia and Pacific zone, said the headquarters “is essential for our growth in the Middle East” and will allow the company “to work more closely with our clients and support the region’s major mobility projects”.
Keolis networks in the Middle East
The regional office builds on three contracts, each with its own structure.
| Network | Client and structure | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Doha Metro and Lusail Tram, Qatar | Qatar Rail, joint venture, 20-year contract | 2018 |
| Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram | RTA, Keolis MHI, 15-year contract | 2021 |
| Etihad Rail passenger trains | Etihad Rail Mobility, 50:50 joint venture | 2026 |
In Dubai, Keolis MHI operates and maintains Dubai Metro and operates Dubai Tram on behalf of RTA. The contract runs for 15 years: 9 base years and 6 more years renewable every 2 years. In Qatar, the group’s joint venture holds a 20-year contract to operate and maintain Doha Metro and Lusail Tram and ran both networks through the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The newest contract is the UAE national railway. Etihad Rail and Keolis announced the Etihad Rail Mobility joint venture at Global Rail 2025 in Abu Dhabi on 30 September 2025, with equal 50:50 shares. Keolis is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the passenger services. The first passenger service between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah started on 30 June 2026, and the Dubai Al Yalayis station opened on 30 September 2026, with Dubai to Abu Dhabi tickets from AED 39. We covered the station in our article on the first Etihad Rail station in Dubai.
What the Dubai office will pursue
The company lists four directions for its regional business:
- Rail: metro, light rail, intercity and high-speed rail projects.
- Buses: bus rapid transit (BRT) systems, alternative energy buses and the energy transition of existing fleets.
- First and last mile: micromobility, on-demand transport and autonomous transport.
- Technology: innovation in the region, especially artificial intelligence for mobility.
The statement does not name specific tenders, cities or bid values. It describes the office as the base from which Keolis is positioned to win major new transport projects in the region.
The rail pipeline around Dubai
The announcement comes as several large rail projects in the UAE move to their next stage. These are public plans of the authorities, not contracts linked to Keolis:
- Dubai Metro Blue Line, about 30 km, scheduled to open on 9 September 2029.
- Dubai Metro Gold Line, about 42 km by 2032; RTA said in September 2026 that the tender would be issued by the end of 2026.
- Together the two lines are budgeted at about AED 55 billion and will extend the metro network by 80%, from about 90 km to 162 km.
- Etihad Rail passenger network: further stations in the Al Dhafra region and in Sharjah, with Sharjah scheduled for 30 March 2027.
- Hafeet Rail, a 238 km line that will link the UAE network to Oman.
Details of the metro expansion are in our article on the Blue and Gold Lines and the AED 55 billion plan.
Who Keolis is
Keolis carries about 9 million passengers a day and runs rail, metro, tram, bus and new mobility services in 14 countries. It is one of the largest operators of automatic metros and trams in the world. The group is 70% owned by SNCF, the French national railway company, and 30% by La Caisse (formerly CDPQ), the Quebec institutional investor. It employs 68,000 people and reported revenue of EUR 7.1 billion in 2025.
What a regional headquarters in Dubai involves
Keolis follows a common pattern for international groups that already hold contracts in the Gulf: client work stays with project companies and joint ventures, while a regional headquarters takes on business development, bids and coordination. For a foreign company, opening such an office in Dubai is a corporate project with several practical steps:
- Legal form: a branch of the foreign parent or a separate UAE subsidiary. A branch acts on behalf of the parent, a subsidiary is a separate legal entity with its own liability.
- Jurisdiction: a mainland licence from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism or a free zone licence. The choice depends on where the office will serve clients and which activities it needs.
- Parent company documents: certificate of incorporation, articles and a board resolution, attested and legalised for use in the UAE.
- Office: a lease registered in Ejari on the mainland or a free zone office contract; in many free zones the office package also sets the number of visas.
- Staff: employment visas and Emirates ID for transferred managers and new hires.
- Bank account: a corporate account for the branch or subsidiary, with full KYC on the parent group.
- Tax: corporate tax registration with the Federal Tax Authority; the standard rate is 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000.
Our company formation guide for the UAE walks through the licence options and the registration steps in more detail.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital works with founders and international companies that set up in the UAE. We help choose between a branch and a subsidiary and between mainland and free zone, prepare and legalise parent company documents, obtain the licence through our company setup service, open corporate bank accounts and arrange work visas and residency for the team. For suppliers and subcontractors that want to work with transport operators in the region, we set up the licence with the right activities from the start.
Conclusion
Keolis already runs Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram, the Doha networks and, since June 2026, the first passenger trains in the UAE together with Etihad Rail. With the regional headquarters, the group places its Middle East business development in Dubai, at a time when new metro and rail tenders such as the Dubai Metro Gold Line are expected. The company has not disclosed which bids it will submit, the office address or its size.
Source: Gulf News, Keolis press release (Mid-East.info), Railway Gazette International.
FAQ
Who operates Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram?
Keolis MHI has operated and maintained Dubai Metro and operated Dubai Tram on behalf of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) since 2021. The contract runs for 15 years: 9 base years plus 6 years renewable every 2 years. Keolis says its Dubai operations serve about one million passengers a day.
Why did Keolis open a regional headquarters in Dubai?
Keolis said in October 2026 that the Dubai office will be the hub for its Middle East operations, bring it closer to the transport authorities it serves and help it win new projects. The targets are metro, light rail, intercity and high-speed rail, bus rapid transit, alternative energy buses and first and last mile services.
Who runs Etihad Rail passenger trains?
Passenger trains are run by Etihad Rail Mobility, a 50:50 joint venture of Etihad Rail and Keolis announced on 30 September 2025, with Keolis responsible for operation and maintenance. The first service between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah started on 30 June 2026, and the Dubai Al Yalayis station opened on 30 September 2026.
How can a foreign company open a regional office in Dubai?
A foreign company can register a branch of the parent or a separate subsidiary, either on the mainland through the Department of Economy and Tourism or in a free zone. It needs legalised parent company documents, an office lease, a corporate bank account and visas for staff, and it registers for corporate tax with the Federal Tax Authority.
