The Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai (RTA) have recently revealed a significant enlargement plan of Burj Khalifa-Dubai Mall metro station, which should be capable of containing up to 220,000 passengers every day. The project, together with the Emaar Properties, is aimed to enhance increased foot traffic, particularly during the peak period, such as New Year Eve and national holidays.
This widening will double the size of the station to 8,500 square metres with an hourly capacity of 12,320 passengers or a 65 per cent expansion over the current level of 7,250 passengers an hour. The renovated station will have an extra set of pedestrian bridges, new entry/exit gates as well as new elevators and escalators and longer concourses and platform lengths.
RTA Director General Mattar Al Tayer also stated that the metro station is an important transport hub within Dubai transit system because of its location around some of the most recognisable manmade structures: Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. The growth combats the increased demand of an average 7.5 percent over the last five years of annual ridership growth all the way to 2040 which is what the expansion aims to combat according to Al Tayer.
The number of passengers travelling through the station has been gradually rising (7.95 million in 2015) in the years (between 6.13 million in 2013 and more than 10.57 million in 2024) since its opening in 2010. The number of passengers can go above 110,000 just on the New Year eve.
The new design has been architecturally based on seashell architecture of other stations of Dubai Metro, and so the emphasis is put on safety, accessibility and ease of use. Its layout has minimised walked distances, enforced visual openness, and easy accessibility to People of Determination, seniors and families with strollers.
The project can also be coupled with other mobility options such as e-scooters and bikes and include commercial spaces that will maximize revenues.
Through such an expansion, Dubai further walks to build its infrastructure with regard to the public transport, and thereby smoothens out the day-to-day commuting, as well as accessibility of major events by both the residents and the tourists.
