Dubai has approved a Dhs2 billion extension of its Metro to Al Maktoum International Airport City, with trains due to start running on the new section in 2031 as the emirate prepares to move its aviation hub to the south of the city.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, approved the project on Tuesday 10 November during a meeting of the Executive Council of Dubai held as part of the UAE Annual Government Meetings 2026.

The extension will add three kilometres and two new stations to Route 2020, the branch of the Red Line that runs from Jebel Ali to Expo City Dubai. It will carry the line on to the West Terminal of Al Maktoum International Airport, the airport also known as Dubai World Central, or DWC.

Part of a Dhs11 billion package

The Metro extension is one part of a wider package of strategic projects worth more than Dhs11 billion approved at the same meeting. The largest share, Dhs9.59 billion, will fund a comprehensive plan to develop community services and facilities across Dubai through 2040, with priority given to residential areas for Emirati citizens.

Sheikh Hamdan said Al Maktoum International Airport City was one of Dubai's most significant strategic projects. "The extension is part of an integrated transport system that matches the ambitions of this global project," he said. "We continue to invest in infrastructure that anticipates future aspirations, connects the emirate and strengthens Dubai's competitiveness."

The project will be delivered jointly by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority and the Dubai Engineering Projects Establishment. No construction start date has been announced, and the 2031 date is the scheduled start of passenger services.

Why the link matters

The extension is timed to match Dubai's plan to shift all airport operations from Dubai International Airport to Al Maktoum International Airport from 2032. The new airport is planned to become the world's largest, with capacity eventually reaching 260 million passengers a year once the full project is completed.

Passengers using the extended Metro will also be able to connect to the planned airport express line and to Etihad Rail's high-speed rail network, which is due to link Dubai and Abu Dhabi in about 30 minutes and will have a station at the airport.

Route 2020 opened in January 2021 as a 15-kilometre branch of the Red Line with seven stations, serving communities including Discovery Gardens, Al Furjan and Dubai Investment Park. The new section will extend it from its Expo City Dubai terminus into the airport city now being built in the south of the emirate.

A growing network

Dubai has set out plans for more than 140 Metro stations by 2040. With the Blue Line and Gold Line already under way, the Red Line extension would bring the network to 95 stations by 2031.

Officials say the airport link will make travel easier for passengers, airport staff and visitors, ease traffic on surrounding roads and reduce reliance on private cars inside the planned Airport City. The wider Dhs11 billion package also includes a study of the future of Dubai's real estate market and investment policy for endowments and minors' funds.