Dubai Metro now flood-proof with new measures
Permanent barriers were put in place to avoid flooding of Dubai infrastructure and metro stations after the record-breaking April rains.
That’s the message from one of the highest officers at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), who stressed that innovative solutions are being designed so that flooding will never happen again in either the Red or Green lines of Dubai Metro or the Blue Line, which would start running in September 2029.
Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Mattar Al Tayer "It was not a malfunctioning metro design that caused the flooding, it was a one-off event that never happened in our lifetime, and 250mm of rain was recorded in less than 24 hours.
"Some of the metro stations were in low-lying neighbourhoods and thus very prone. If you plan for 20-30 years then it will run you a lot of money. But we know now where the difficulties were and in case it again happens, it is definitely not going to happen flooding".
Installation of barriers
He said again, "There are 140-200mm of rain in the UAE on a regular basis, so it is unmatched. There was no history to explain this magnitude because of the rarity of this type of rain. But I can assure you we have since put in place "future-proof solutions" for when flooding happens again. Barriers have been installed at prone stations, and all problems were fixed.
The record-breaking April rains and subsequent floods across the nation — closing the Onpassive, Equiti, Mashreq and Energy stations for weeks, as citizens switched to other forms of transport.
"Our colleagues at the Rail Agency have done everything we can to ensure this type of accident never happens again. Longtime members of the team who have known this struggle have worked together to create robust protections. The lessons from the Red Line flood has been learned in all its fullness and we do not expect it to happen again. I can tell you we are very prepared should this happen again in the future," Al Tayer said.
Resilient to climate change
For the Dh20.5 billion that the new transport scheme was paying attention to, climate change impacts such as heavy rainfall and floods that disrupt transportation links and drive up costs, have been factored in.
"All metro stations and systems are built and optimized to eliminate these risks and provide service in an uninterrupted way. Furthermore, the development is LEED-certified green building, which was the first metro project in the world to be certified. This helps minimize carbon emissions and makes the best use of energy," said the transport head.
Dh1.5 billion given to sectors that are most critical.
According to the official, "Dubai Government gave Dh1.5 billion" to Dubai Municipality and RTA after the flooding to address the issue at 14 locations.
"Nearly 90 per cent of the work has been completed and has given long-term solutions for flooding future. Thanks to the fast cash of the government, these issues were immediately solved. These improvements mean Dubai’s roads, metro and public infrastructure will be safer and more efficient to make people in Dubai as well as out-of-towners safe and convenient," said Al Tayer.
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