Dubai Metro Blue Line has reached another major milestone, bringing the city’s next metro route one step closer to reality. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has completed the first 1.2-kilometre underground tunnel beneath International City, marking significant progress on one of Dubai’s biggest public transport projects.
The completed tunnel reaches the future Dragon Mart Metro Station and is the first section excavated by Al Wugeisha, the project’s 160-metre-long tunnel boring machine. The breakthrough was achieved in just two months, with the machine operating around 21 metres below ground.
Inside the engineering achievement
Al Wugeisha has been specially designed for the Blue Line project and combines excavation with tunnel construction in a single process. As it moves forward, the machine removes soil, installs precast concrete tunnel segments and clears debris, helping work progress efficiently while maintaining high engineering standards.
Although the average excavation speed ranges between 13 and 17 metres per day, the machine has recorded peak rates of up to 30 metres daily thanks to favourable ground conditions and advanced engineering technology.
The tunnel boring machine has a cutting head measuring 9.6 metres in diameter, creating tunnels with an internal diameter of 8.5 metres. It is monitored around the clock through a dedicated control room, where engineers track its alignment, performance and drilling conditions using real-time digital systems. The machine operates 24 hours a day, six days a week, with one day reserved for routine maintenance.
What happens next?
With the first tunnel section complete, excavation will now continue for another 1.4 kilometres towards the future Al Warqa Metro Station.
Construction is also progressing at Dragon Mart Station, where hundreds of engineers, technicians and workers are carrying out deep excavation, structural works and internal construction to prepare the station for future passengers.
Across the wider Blue Line project, more than 2,000 engineers, workers and specialists are contributing to station construction, tunnelling and other engineering works.
A new route connecting key communities
Once complete, the 30-kilometre Dubai Metro Blue Line will feature 14 stations, connecting major destinations including Al Jaddaf, Dubai Creek Harbour, International City and Academic City.
The new line is scheduled to open on 9 September 2029, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Dubai Metro. When it begins operations, it will provide faster connections between several of Dubai’s growing residential, educational and commercial districts, making it easier for residents and visitors to move around the city using public transport.
