The Dubai Metro Blue Line is a major new transport project that will connect some of the city’s fastest-growing communities and education hubs

Dubai Metro Blue Line reaches major construction milestone as the project is moving ahead at speed…

Construction on Dubai’s new Metro Blue Line has reached another important stage, with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) confirming that the first phase of tunnelling has now been completed.

The achievement comes just two months after His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum officially launched the underground excavation works for the new metro line.

Also read: Here’s everything we know about the Dubai Metro Blue Line

Faster tunnelling than ever before

According to the RTA, the Blue Line is being built using a new tunnel boring machine called Al Wugeisha, which is fitted with advanced digital technology to make underground construction quicker and more accurate.

The machine can dig up to 30 metres of tunnel each day, more than double the speed of the equipment used during the construction of Dubai’s first Metro tunnels back in 2007, when progress averaged around 12 metres per day.

Thanks to the upgraded technology, the first stage of tunnelling has been finished in just two months.

A smarter way to build

Al Wugeisha is around 163 metres long and weighs approximately 2,000 tonnes. But it does more than simply dig tunnels.

The machine is designed to excavate the ground, remove the soil and install the tunnel lining as it moves forward, allowing work to continue as one continuous process with greater precision.

What’s next?

The RTA says the latest milestone highlights how far Dubai’s engineering capabilities have advanced over the past two decades. Work on the Dubai Metro Blue Line is continuing as the city expands its public transport network to serve future communities.