Bidders are competing on the consultancy role for the 55-kilometer Dubai Metro Airport Express Line as the project advances. The Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has held a pre-bid meeting for the project. Moreover, it is understood that consultants are actively competing for work on the line project. RTA has also requested firms to form joint ventures for the project with various international-based companies attending the function. These included North American-based companies such as:

Aecom (US)

Jacobs (US)

Parsons (US)

AtkinsRealis (Canada)

Arup (UK)

WSP (Canada)

On the other hand, European-based companies included:

ARX (Switzerland)

DB (Germany)

Egis (France)

Mott Macdonald (UK)

Systra (France)

Sener (Spain)

And Asia’s:

Surbana Jurong (Singapore)

The consultancy contract covers the study and design of the Airport Express Line. It will extend from the Al-Garhoud area of the city to Al-Maktoum International airport (DWC) in the Jebel Ali area. The proposed line will also stretch about 55 kilometres (km) and include five stations. Once complete, it will provide passengers with facilities such as remote airline check-in, baggage drop-off and security screening. Other rail projects advancing in the UAE include the Dubai Metro Gold Line.

The 30 km Dubai Metro Blue Line is officially scheduled to open on September 9, 2029. It coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Dubai Metro. Primary tunneling and pier construction are actively underway, with the first-ever metro bridge crossing Dubai Creek taking shape. The line will feature 14 stations and serve nine key areas.

Scope of Implementation on the Dubai Metro Airport Express Line

Interested consultants on the Dubai Metro Airport Express Line have until June to submit their proposals. The new line will run from the Red Line metro station at Dubai International airport through Al-Jaddaf, along Al-Khail Road to a new station at Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) before continuing on to DWC. There will be two spur lines. The first will run from the new JVC station to the Al-Fardan Exchange metro station at Emirates Golf Club.

Conversely, the second will branch out towards Business Bay, where another station will be built. The new line appears to follow a similar route to the Etihad Rail high-speed railway project. The line is now under construction and due to be completed by 2030.

The Airport Express Line scheme is the latest metro project to be tendered by the RTA this year. Tendering activity is already ongoing for the Route 2020 extension, which will start from the Expo 2020 metro station and connect to DWC’s West Terminal. The extension to the line will run for about 3km and will feature two stations. The existing Route 2020 metro link is a 15km-long line that branches off the Red Line at Jebel Ali metro station.

Project Factsheet:

• Project Name: Dubai Metro Airport Express Line
• Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Estimated Investment Value: Not officially disclosed
• Project Type: Metro Rail / Airport Express Transit Line

Timeline

• 2026: Consultancy bidding and pre-bid meetings underway
• June 2026: Proposal submission deadline for consultants
• 2030: Target completion aligned with Al Maktoum International Airport expansion

Site & Scale

• Line Length: Approximately 55 kilometers
• Stations: 5 main stations
• Route: Al-Garhoud to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)
• Spur Lines: 2 additional branch connections
• Airport Connectivity: Dubai International Airport (DXB) to DWC

Project Teams

• Project Authority: Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA)

Consultancy Firms Competing:

• Aecom (USA)
• Jacobs (USA)
• Parsons (USA)
• AtkinsRealis (Canada)
• Arup (UK)
• WSP (Canada)
• ARX (Switzerland)
• DB (Germany)
• Egis (France)
• Mott MacDonald (UK)
• Systra (France)
• Sener (Spain)
• Surbana Jurong (Singapore)

Infrastructure Scope

• 55km airport express metro corridor
• Five major passenger stations
• Direct connection between DXB and DWC airports
• Remote airline check-in facilities
• Integrated baggage drop-off systems
• Passenger security screening infrastructure
• Connections to existing Red Line metro network

Strategic Objectives

• Improve airport-to-airport connectivity across Dubai
• Support expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport
• Reduce road congestion and travel times
• Enhance public transportation capacity ahead of 2030 growth targets

Current Status

• Consultancy tendering process ongoing
• Pre-bid meeting conducted by Dubai RTA
• International engineering and consultancy firms preparing proposals
• Joint venture formations encouraged by RTA
• Airport Express Line design and study phase advancing