Dubai Approves Metro Extension to Al Maktoum Airport City With Service From 2031

The rail link is one of several strategic projects, together worth more than Dh11 billion, that the council approved at a meeting held during the UAE Government Annual Meetings in Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Hamdan, who is also Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, announced the decisions in a post on X. Neither his post nor reports of the meeting said how much of the total goes to the Metro extension, and they gave no route length, number of stations or contractor.

The extension matters because Dubai is building a new main airport around it. In April 2024 the government approved designs for a new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International in Dubai South, which is meant to take over operations from Dubai International in time. A Dubai Media Office update in June 2026 said the airport's first phase was still on course to open in 2032. It said contracts worth more than AED 13 billion were under way and that packages worth more than AED 55 billion would be awarded in the next phase, with the main awards targeted for the end of the year.

When finished, the airport is planned to handle more than 260 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of air cargo a year, with five parallel runways, two passenger terminals and more than 430 aircraft stands, according to the June update. That update gave no date for moving flights from Dubai International.

The Metro and the airport are separate projects on separate timetables. The 2031 date is for Metro service to the airport city district, about a year before the airport's own first phase is due to open.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, inaugurated Route 2020 six years ago. The 15km branch of the Red Line was built to serve the Expo 2020 site and was always meant to become a link to Al Maktoum International.

The Executive Council also approved a plan to improve community services and facilities by 2040, giving priority to residential areas for Emirati citizens.

It endorsed the findings of a study on the future of Dubai's real estate market. Sheikh Hamdan said the study showed the sector's strength and resilience and supported its continued development in partnership with the private sector. The study itself has not been published.

The council also discussed how to invest funds held for minors and endowments. "We further directed efforts to diversify the investment policy for funds held for minors and endowments, strengthen portfolio management, diversify assets, optimise returns and ensure long-term sustainability," Sheikh Hamdan said.

"We measure success by the tangible impact of our initiatives on people's everyday lives and the opportunities they create for future generations," he added.

The Roads and Transport Authority, which runs the Metro, has not yet published the route, stations or cost of the extension.