14 September 2026
Dubai Metro will grow by 80%, from 90 km today to 162 km by 2032, once the Blue Line and the Gold Line are complete, and the two projects have a combined estimated cost of approximately AED 55 billion. Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), gave the figures on Monday 14 September 2026 at a press conference announcing the RailX Dubai Conference and Exhibition. The 30 km Blue Line is under construction and scheduled to open in 2029, the 42 km Gold Line is due in 2032, and the tender for the Gold Line is scheduled to be issued by the end of 2026. Al Tayer also said that building a station beside an area can lift land values there by 15 to 30%.
What RTA announced on 14 September 2026
The statements came at the press conference for the first RailX Dubai Conference and Exhibition, which will be held at Dubai World Trade Centre from 31 May to 2 June 2027. The key points:
- Cost. The combined estimated cost of the Blue Line and the Gold Line is approximately AED 55 billion.
- Network length. From 90 km today to 162 km after the Blue Line opens in 2029 and the Gold Line in 2032, an increase of 80%.
- Blue Line. RTA is implementing the project now. Abdulmohsen Ibrahim, Executive Director of the Rail Agency at RTA, said it is 24% complete, on schedule to open on 9 September 2029, and has not been directly affected by recent geopolitical developments in the region.
- Gold Line. The tender is scheduled to be issued by the end of 2026.
- Land values. A new station beside an area can raise land values by 15 to 30%, and the direction of a line and the location of its stations shape land use and the commercial impact of a project.
- Ridership. Dubai Metro accounts for 40% of all public transport journeys in the emirate and has carried nearly three billion passengers since it opened on 9 September 2009.
The two lines in numbers
Both projects were announced earlier with their own official figures. The table puts those releases next to the update given on 14 September.
| Indicator | Blue Line | Gold Line |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 30 km: 15.5 km underground, 14.5 km elevated | 42 km, fully underground |
| Stations | 14 | 18 |
| Official value | AED 20.5 billion contract, December 2024 | Around AED 34 billion, April 2026 |
| Status in September 2026 | Under construction, 24% complete | Tender due by the end of 2026 |
| Opening | 9 September 2029 | 9 September 2032 |
| Interchanges | Al Khor (Green Line), Centrepoint (Red Line), International City 1 | Business Bay and Jumeirah Golf Estates (Red Line), Al Ghubaiba (Green Line), Etihad Rail at Meydan and Jumeirah Golf Estates |
| Contractor | Consortium of MAPA, LIMAK and CRRC | Not yet tendered |
The two official values, AED 20.5 billion for the Blue Line contract and around AED 34 billion for the Gold Line, add up to AED 54.5 billion, which is consistent with the combined estimate of approximately AED 55 billion that RTA gave on 14 September. With both lines in service, the Government of Dubai Media Office puts the network at 85 stations, up from 67 counting the Blue Line.
Blue Line: the east of the city, under construction
The Blue Line contract was awarded in December 2024 to a consortium of MAPA and LIMAK from Turkey, responsible for civil works, and CRRC from China, responsible for rail systems. The line runs on two routes. The first, 21 km with 10 stations, starts at the Al Khor interchange on the Green Line in Al Jaddaf and passes Dubai Festival City, Dubai Creek Harbour and Ras Al Khor to International City 1, then continues to International City 2 and 3, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai Academic City. The second, 9 km with 4 stations, runs from Centrepoint on the Red Line in Al Rashidiya through Mirdif and Al Warqaa to International City 1.
The project includes the first crossing of Dubai Creek by the metro, on a 1,300 metre bridge, and a signature station at Dubai Creek Harbour designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. When the contract was awarded, RTA projected that the Blue Line would reduce congestion on key road corridors by 20% and raise the value of land and properties around its stations by up to 25%.
Gold Line: the first fully underground line
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved the Gold Line on 22 April 2026. It is planned at a depth of 40 metres and will link 15 strategic locations, starting at Al Ghubaiba and passing areas including Mina Rashid, City Walk, Business Bay, Mohammed Bin Rashid City, Nad Al Sheba, Mohammed bin Rashid Gardens, Meydan, Al Barsha South and Jumeirah Village Circle before ending at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
According to the Government of Dubai Media Office, the route will serve more than 55 development projects and benefit more than 1.5 million people by 2040, with daily ridership expected to reach 465,000 beyond 2040. RTA projects a cumulative economic return of 430% over 20 years of operation and, at approval, estimated that the value of property near metro stations could rise by up to 20%. The step confirmed on 14 September is procurement: the construction tender is scheduled for release before the end of 2026.
Three estimates of value uplift, and what each one measures
RTA has now published three different figures for the effect of stations on surrounding values, and they are not interchangeable.
| Source and date | Figure | What it refers to |
|---|---|---|
| RTA, Blue Line contract award, December 2024 | Up to 25% | Land and properties around Blue Line stations |
| RTA, Gold Line approval, April 2026 | Up to 20% | Property and real estate near metro stations |
| Mattar Al Tayer, 14 September 2026 | 15 to 30% | Land values when a station is built beside an area |
The September figure refers to land. Gulf News, reporting from the same press conference, noted that Al Tayer spoke specifically about land value rather than property prices, while Khaleej Times quoted RTA as saying that higher land values also push up property prices around a station, although the impact varies by location and type of property. Al Tayer added that several studies must be completed before RTA decides where to build a new station. None of these figures is a forecast for a specific building or community.
Next on the rail agenda: the Airport Express Line and RailX Dubai
Answering a question at the same event, Al Tayer said the study for the proposed Airport Express Line between Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) will take at least a year. RTA is conducting it with Dubai Airports and is looking at the project from an investment perspective, including potential partners. Gulf News reports that RTA received six bids in August to study and design the line, which is proposed at about 55 km with five stations. The backdrop is the expansion of DWC, whose first phase is scheduled to open in 2032 with capacity for 150 million passengers a year, as covered in our review of the Al Maktoum Airport contracts.
RailX Dubai will hold its first edition at Dubai World Trade Centre from 31 May to 2 June 2027 under the theme Building the Future of Rail and Mobility. RTA expects more than 5,000 participants, more than 60 exhibitors and more than 70 speakers, with a programme built around five themes: Reach, Advance, Invest, Link and X-perience. The Invest track covers public-private partnerships, green bonds and sukuk, project financing and transit-oriented development.
What this means for a business in the UAE
The announcement changes no rule, fee or procedure. It is a construction and procurement update, and its practical value for companies and investors lies in the dates and in reading the figures correctly.
- Match the horizon to the line. Blue Line districts such as Mirdif, Al Warqaa, International City, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Academic City and Dubai Creek Harbour are on a 2029 timetable. Gold Line districts are on a 2032 target, and the Gold Line tender has not yet been issued.
- Check the distance to a planned station, not the name of the community. RTA links the uplift to a station built beside an area, and each station decision follows its own studies.
- Separate land from price. The 15 to 30% figure describes land values. RTA itself says the effect on property prices varies by location and property type.
- Read off-plan marketing against the official route. The Gold Line locations are published by the Government of Dubai Media Office, and a brochure that promises a station should match that list.
- Price metro access by year. When comparing offices or warehouses for staff commuting, treat metro access in a Gold Line district as a 2032 benefit rather than a current one.
If you are buying property along these routes as an investor, see our guide to mortgages in the UAE for residents and non-residents, and for the wider picture of the districts the new lines serve, our analysis of Dubai growth areas along the Metro and Etihad Rail.
How Atlant Capital can help
We handle the procedural side for companies and investors who base themselves along the growing network. That covers company formation on the mainland and in the free zones, including the choice of jurisdiction and a registered office that fits where the team will actually work, and residence visas for owners, staff and families. For property investors we support the UAE Golden Visa application once the qualifying conditions are met. We do not act as a property broker and we do not forecast prices for specific units or communities.
Conclusion
The RTA update puts hard numbers on the rail build-out in Dubai: approximately AED 55 billion for two lines, 72 km of new track, a network of 162 km and 85 stations by 2032, and a Blue Line that is already 24% complete. The next milestone is the Gold Line tender, due by the end of 2026. For businesses and investors the figures worth keeping are the opening dates, 9 September 2029 and 9 September 2032, and the difference between an estimated 15 to 30% rise in land values and the price of any individual property.
Source: Khaleej Times, with additional reporting from Gulf News and Emirates 24|7; official background from the Government of Dubai Media Office on the Gold Line and the Blue Line.
FAQ
How long will Dubai Metro be after the Blue Line and Gold Line open?
162 km. RTA said on 14 September 2026 that the network will grow from 90 km today to 162 km, an increase of 80%, once the 30 km Blue Line opens in 2029 and the 42 km Gold Line opens in 2032. The number of stations will rise to 85.
When will the Dubai Metro Blue Line and Gold Line open?
The Blue Line is scheduled to open on 9 September 2029 and was 24% complete in September 2026. The Gold Line, approved on 22 April 2026, has a target opening date of 9 September 2032, and RTA plans to issue its construction tender by the end of 2026.
How much do the Dubai Metro Blue Line and Gold Line cost?
RTA puts the combined estimated cost at approximately AED 55 billion. The Blue Line contract was awarded in December 2024 for AED 20.5 billion to a consortium of MAPA, LIMAK and CRRC, and the Gold Line was approved in April 2026 with an investment of around AED 34 billion.
How much do land values rise near new Dubai Metro stations?
RTA Director General Mattar Al Tayer said in September 2026 that building a station beside an area can raise land values by 15 to 30%. The figure refers to land rather than property prices, and RTA says the effect on prices varies by location and property type. Earlier RTA estimates were up to 25% around Blue Line stations and up to 20% for the Gold Line.
