The project will enable people to travel as if passing through a – hole – within Dubai," described the world's richest man, Elon Musk, referring to the "Dubai Loop" project a year ago during the World Government Summit. Today, as the first phase of the project is launched, Musk said on his official account on the "X" platform that "this is going to be utterly amazing." So, what exactly is the "Dubai Loop" project, which is considered a breakthrough in high-speed smart urban transport, what is its significance for Dubai, and why did the Dubai government invest around $700 million in it?

What is the "Dubai Loop" project?

The "Dubai Loop" project consists of innovative tunnels designed to transport passengers in Dubai at high speeds and in record time. It employs advanced technologies that bring a qualitative shift to the transportation system, enhancing efficiency and ensuring smooth movement in high-density urban areas, while also supporting first- and last-mile journeys. The project is characterized by rapid execution, reduced costs, and minimal impact on existing roads and services.

Opening of the first phase of the Dubai Loop project (Agencies)

The Director General and Chairman of the Board of the Roads and Transport Authority in the UAE, Mattar Al Tayer, explained that the first phase of the project, being implemented in partnership with The Boring Company, includes a 6.4 km route with four stations. This phase paves the way for the full project, which will extend over 22.2 km and include 19 stations, connecting the Commercial and Financial Center area with the Business Bay district.

The project initially aims to transport over 20,000 passengers per hour, with plans to eventually reach a capacity of more than 100,000 passengers per hour. Al Tayer noted that Dubai is the second city, after California, to implement such a project.

"Dubai Loop" costs 2.5 billion dirhams

The first phase of the "Dubai Loop" project’s track is estimated to cost approximately 565 million dirhams, with an expected execution time of one year after completing the necessary design and preparations. The total project cost is estimated at around 2.5 billion dirhams (approximately $681 million), with an overall completion timeline of about three years, according to the Dubai Government’s media office.

Al Tayer affirmed that the project represents a qualitative shift in the use of advanced technology for tunneling and implementation. The executing company employs cutting-edge techniques that achieve higher speeds and lower costs compared to traditional tunneling methods, making Dubai an ideal environment for such futuristic projects.

Al Tayer stated that Dubai's population growth rate reaches 7%, compared to a global growth rate of 2%. He noted that Dubai’s population is six million and that in 2025 the city welcomed about 17 million tourists, marking a 5% increase compared to 2024.

Dubai has registered 170,000 luxury cars, and the total value of distinctive number plates over the past three years has reached 1.7 billion dirhams, demonstrating that the city continues to attract wealthy individuals and major investors.

Dr. Osama Akeel, a professor of transportation engineering at Ain Shams University and an international expert in transport, traffic, and airports, told Annahar that Dubai, as a global financial center hosting thousands of international companies, places critical importance on speed in transportation. He explained that the city invests in the "Dubai Loop," which consists of a long tunnel where vehicles move with less friction than on traditional roads, providing 40% more vehicle thrust. The system operates using vacuum-assisted vehicle propulsion technology, thereby reducing travel time by minimizing wheel-to-ground friction.

Akeel explained that the "Hyperloop" technology being implemented in the UAE through the "Dubai Loop" project remains highly expensive and is beyond the reach of most Arab cities. This is due either to the high cost—30 to 40 times more than traditional transport—or to geographical constraints and short distances, or to centralized urban structures, as in Egypt, where activities are concentrated in major provinces such as Cairo and Alexandria.

He added that Dubai, in the first phase, successfully overcame certain challenges, such as regulating the distance between stations. Given the extremely high-speed technology, distances cannot be too short or excessively long, so Dubai managed to establish a moderate distance between each of the four stations in the first phase.

He concluded that Dubai's "Dubai Loop" competes with the speed of airplanes, but on the ground, with maximum speeds ranging between 300 and 400 km/h. Airplane speeds, by comparison, reach around 1,000 km/h—a future milestone that may be achievable with scientific advancements.

He continued, noting that the "Dubai Loop" is the first Arab "Hyperloop" project in the Middle East and North Africa. With its implementation and potential expansion by Dubai, its high cost may decrease, making it more feasible for other Arab countries. He emphasized that the project is likely to succeed in Dubai due to the city’s unique characteristics, including its reliance on financial centers and tourism, as well as significant traffic volumes—welcoming 17 million tourists annually in addition to its resident population.