Built in just under four years, the first phase of ten stations opened bang on schedule on 09-09-09 - and at nine minutes past nine in the evening. They like their schedules here.
So many people turned out in their cars to watch the dazzling blue and silver trams, traffic jams lasted well past midnight in downtown Dubai, notorious for congestion, in the 40-degree heat.
Launched in a blaze of publicity with invites to ambassadors and overseas VIPs the first city Metro system in the Arab world was declared open by the ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also prime minister of the UAE and a man of gigantic personal wealth. It has been described as the most modern Metro system on the planet, capable of carrying 27,000 passengers per hour in driverless carriages. I joined the media circus to watch the Sheikh press the button to signal the firework celebration, and in the ensuing clamour for seats, ended up riding next to him in the front of the first scheduled service. We chatted about congestion - and football - once I had told him of Manchester and our own Metrolink service, now being upgraded, and beset by delays on the Altrincham line. I also told him we could do with some extra cash for our system, but it didn't seem to provoke a positive response.
Temperature controlled
Park and ride won't be a problem here because the car parks already take up to 6,000 cars each. The Metro stations are like the lobby of a top hotel, temperature controlled to 20 degrees, with integrated ticketing for buses, taxi and even water ferry. The stations are designed like ocean pearls, with the themes of earth, water, fire and air. The whole system snakes through Dubai on raised viaducts and links to an underground tube system. There will be a total of 27 stations when the lines are fully open next year. It is a great feat of engineering which employed 30,000 construction workers and is now operated by Serco, former operators of Manchester's tram network.
Building costs doubled to £5bn after the Sheikh looked over early drawings and decreed it was not up to scratch and must be "the best of the best". But the cost per journey to the passenger is only £1 or less for short trips. There are women and children only cabins, 3,000 CCTV cameras, a dedicated Metro police force and passengers can use their own charge cards - long awaited in Manchester.
Observers will now watch closely to see if Dubai and its population of 1.6m take it to their hearts. This oil-rich Gulf state only charges about 80p for a gallon of petrol - fresh water costs twice as much. The carbon footprint of each resident is nine times the world average. There are over 1m cars in a relatively small city area, each one with air conditioning to survive the fierce heat.
It is a place of great wealth, and in contrast low wages for the thousands of immigrant workers who live in bunk houses doing unskilled labour. You are either well off or poor. Nothing in between. For the low paid, the all-electric Metro will be much in demand. And Dubai is not immune to the credit crunch. Many of the luxury apartments near the famous Palm Island resorts lie unoccupied. Cars are regularly abandoned at the airport by those fleeing their debts.
Congestion
But the Arab government is aware that commerce has to function without the constant traffic snarls. Downtown property prices are being affected by congestion. And another 25 hotels are set to come on stream this year, all keen to attract overseas tourists. The Government ploughed a small fortune into a worldwide marketing strategy for the Metro, inviting journalists from Europe, Japan and South Africa. They even opened up the Sheikh's palace home for a press conference where he fielded questions on the economy, jobs, education for women and the justice system, as well as transport. As the Sheikh admitted: "If people want to travel cheaper and arrive faster, they will want to use the Metro. In Dubai we love clean air, we are Bedouins and we want less people to use their cars."
However, guests on opening night were ferried in a cavalcade of limousines, sometimes for a journey of only a few hundred yards. Such is the heat, the car has become the only way to move from home to office or shopping mall in cool comfort.
As I mingled with the army of journalists and Government PR advisers, I was joined by a friend, Mark Rix, former MD of the MEN, now CEO of a newspaper group in Dubai. He reckons it will take a lot to lure people from their cars. "But this is so spectacular, it might just do it."
And for the record I asked the ruler of Dubai if he had any plans to buy a British football club - like his neighbours in Abu Dhabi. A firm 'no' was the answer.
So the credit crunch must be biting the Arab world too. Tweet
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Quote : aso many people turned up in their cars to watch the...
is that irony at work?
Local newspapers in Dubai were reporting yesterday that one of the trainsets broke down resulting in a 2 hour delay on the line - so our transport system does share one thing in common with Dubai's!
Sounds and looks better than "Manchester the land of dreams" .with trams crashing into cars etc.
So why is this news in Manchester?
Carbon footprint nine times the world average, water twice the cost of petrol, thousands of low paid immigrant workers living in bunk houses, limousines to travel a few hundred yards.What was the carbon footprint to get the media there from around the world.Nice Pr jolly for all concerned, which has left me with a negative opinion.Good PR?
I travelled on it today and it is by far a world class metro leaving manchesters metrolink in the shade. It is pure luxury and the facilities are out of this world the staff were fantastic looking immaculate and so helpfull unlike some of metrolinks drivers!!!! I would urge the GMPTE and stagecoach bosses to get over to Dubai to see how a proper metro is run.
Its a desparate bit of 'good' news to come out of Dubai, most of it is negative at the moment - slump in property values, jobs slashed, cars abandoned at the airport, the shine has worn off.
Like Manchester, it is maybe too little, too late. Some of the start up 'management' for the system have been recruited from 'over here', but lots of the permanent vacancies have yet to be filled.
I tried to used the new Dubai metro yesterday (11th). It was chaos at the end of line park and ride. The staff were hiding in the office behind the ticket desks, with the concourse full of irate prospective passengers. There was no information to passengers, no one had a clue what was going on, if services were running, or if or when they would resume.
I instead continued my journey by road to the city centre. While there, I headed over to another station, where the lights were off, and Serco staff were saying come back tomorrow as the system had shut for the day due to 'many problems'. I asked a staff member blocking the entrance if this were true, and if so how people should get to their destinations. He just repeated that the system was shut for the day. I asked his name, and he said I can't tell you anything and walked off.
On my way home, I called in again at the Park and Ride, and lo and behold, the staff had come out of the office and trains were running - of a fashion.
It simply obvious that the system is not ready. It should have remained closed until it could be introduced properly
Clearly the staff are insufficiently trained to deal with service failures, and there are no contingency plans in place for replacement services. Telling passengers lies, hiding in the office, and saying 'I can't tell you anything' is simply is unacceptable. This is supposed to be a transport system, not a fairground ride that can be closed with no alternatives provided.
What a way to run a railway! At least Metrolink organised alternative transport in the recent problems on the Alty line
I note that these trams are bothe overground (about twenty feet up) and even underground. Therefore roads haven't been closed off to cars so they can be accomodated.
Unlike our council who want to put them down Cross Street and Deansgate.
Take note.
When Paul Horrocks stated that the fares will be one pound or less he did not also state that the main immigrant workers in Dubai whom mainly live in Sharjah are paying far less than one pound per trip on overcrowded old delapidated coaches with dirty unwashed curtains. Will the Construction companies pay for their workers travel on the Metro ? I have worked in Dubai and will be working there again soon and I praise the Sheikh for all the good work he has done and is still doing. All new developments have their teething problems and Dubai is no exception but I will guarantee that within a few months Dubai's Metro will be the most luxurious and efficient in the World
Manchester cannot compete and never will
AJSR Bolton
"The Metro stations are like the lobby of a top hotel, temperature controlled to 20 degrees". Sounds like the re-vamped Victoria Station when it's finished !
Contrast to Manchester's trams. A purpose built system with dedicated rights of way, not existing bits from elsewhere cobbled together on the floor and built on a shoestring.
Similarities to Manchester. Any system needs to be thoroughly tested under full service conditions before being open to the public.
Hell on earth - seamlessly travelling from one bit of burned up desert to another.
after 5 hours of opening and 4 billion dollors over budget (yes 4 BILLION ) the dubai metro broke down, and was stopped for 2 hours the journalists on their jolly dont report this??????