Will the Dubai Metro be a success?

Dubai's first urban network opened today, becoming the world's longest driver-less train system with more than 70km of magnetic track. It has been the largest infrastructure project the emirate has seen in more than a decade with an literal army of workers labouring day and night to meet the deadline, but will the expensive gamble pay off?

Peyman Parham Younis, from the Road and Transport Authority speaking to Sky, said the line joins together a list of instantly recognisable icons, assuring its success and use by the population.

 
"When you talk about Dubai you talk about the seven-star hotel - the Burj Al Arab - or the Palm Island - the first man-made island - or the tallest building in the world - the Burj Dubai," he said.

"We want the Metro to become a new icon and to connect all of these icons."

However, the metro was not just conceived as a way of seeing the sights of Dubai, but to combat a serious problem - traffic. Before the metro, traffic on the eight-lane Sheikh Zayed Highway, along which much of its track now runs, was bumper to bumper almost every morning and evening.

Congestion though has been alleviated not by the new metro system, but by the recession. Since the economic downturn began, the fewer numbers of workers and tourists have seen Dubai's traffic decrease dramatically.

However, with the emirate aiming to be a major tourist attraction in the future, it is clear the authorities are planning for the future, but the metro project has been hit hard by the economic downturn with budget problems and other delays threatening the entire network.

Like other construction projects in the region, the recession has been a major bane for the developers leading to the budget for the project soaring from US$4.12 billion to US$7.42 billion. In turn, the Road and Transport Authority were forced to announced that only 10 of the Metro's 29 stations would be opened.

Not just that, but it is going to be hard for many to give up their air conditioned cars and use the metro, despite the futuristic stations, reasonable fares (eight times cheaper than the London Underground), women-only carriages and luxury leather seats for those who would like to pay for them. It is a risk that could backfire for the local authority and investors who are hoping to see an economic payback on the project.

 
Andrew Critchlow, the Dow Jones Gulf bureau chief, believes the scheme could go either way,

Speaking to Sky News, he said, "The Metro project is one of the schemes that has been ring-fenced."

"They have decided to go ahead with it even though the cost has more than doubled since it was first planned.

"All of this is set against the overall debt position that Dubai faces. It is estimated anywhere between US$80m and US$150m (GBP£48m and £GBP90m)."

However it looks likes many of the city's population may give it the benefit of the doubt with many citing it as a positive social and environmental addition to the region. Whether they back this up by actually riding it, remains to be seen.

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