The work on the first phase of the Dubai Loop will begin soon with an initial investment of Dh 565 million. With this, Dubai will become the second city in the world after Las Vegas to host a car tunnel system.
Dubai Loop is an underground transport project implemented in partnership with Elon Musk's Boring Company. The system will use Tesla Model Y vehicles to shuttle passengers.
Dubbed 'Teslas in tunnels', the project could link key commercial, residential and tourist centres via underground tunnels.
The first phase includes two locations: Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Dubai Mall. Once the project starts operation, the travel time between DIFC and Dubai Mall will come down from 20 minutes to just three minutes.
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Spanning 6.4 km, there will be four stations in the first phase: (Dubai International Financial Centre, ICD Brookfield Place, Zaabeel Dubai Mall Parking, and Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall. It will transport 13,000 passengers daily.
The project was initially announced by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum last year.
“Dubai Loop is an iconic project that embodies Dubai’s vision of smart transportation. It is an innovative and sustainable solution,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), while speaking during a session at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday.
After the first phase becomes operational possibly by 2027, the work on the second phase is expected to procced. It will extend up to 22.2 km spanning 19 stations from Dubai World Trade Centre to Business Bay. The total cost is expected to go up to Dh 2 billion and the full project could be completed in three years.