Dubai Metro turns 17: 'We grew up with the train,' say long-time commuters

In a city that never stops moving, the Dubai Metro has become an unlikely pocket of solace — a place where even during rush-hour, there is a sense of community; where frantic job interviews are preceded by quiet moments of awe at the Burj Khalifa, and where strangers become lifelong friends.

The Dubai Metro Red Line opened in September 2009, followed by the Green Line in September 2011. As the public transport turns 17 on September 9, Metro users are sharing the impact the rapid transit train network have had on their lives.

Dubai resident Alisha Kadri is 18 years old and spends over two hours in the Metro every day going to and from university. She said that as a year older than the metro, she practically grew up with it.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

“Since both my parents were working, my main mode of transport was what I called BMW — Bus, Metro Walk,” she chuckled. “I would say that I have seen the metro at various times including in the middle of the night and at rush hours. The Metro has also seen me through so many different phases of my life — as a young child, as a confused teen and now as a university student.”

For 16-year-old Mehreen Arfaz, her connection to the metro also goes back to her childhood. “As a child, I was obsessed with the metro,” she said. “Once, as a baby, I even hit the emergency button on the metro and nearly got my parents into trouble. When I was a year old, we moved into an apartment on Sheikh Zayed Road where I could see the metro go by. It was my favorite pastime, and I used to wave from my window thinking that people inside the train could see me."

"My grandparents used to take me on the metro as a field trip because I loved it so much. Today, I use the network every day to get home from school and I love it. No two days on the metro is the same. There are so many interesting people that you meet every day," she shared.

First inaugurated on September 9, 2009, the Dubai Metro is now an important part of people's lives. With two additional lines — the Blue Line and the Golden Line — set to open in the coming years, the public transport network is becoming a part of the emirate's future as much as its present.

For Shan Sabeer who came to the UAE just a year ago, the Dubai metro was his first connect to the city. “I used the Metro for the first time just two days after I arrived in Dubai to travel for a job interview,” he recalled. “I was completely confused at first, but I remember looking out and seeing the Burj Khalifa and the huge buildings around me and thinking, 'Wow, I’m actually here!' That journey became one of my best early memories.”

Today, the metro has become a part of his daily routine — whether it is for meetings or exploring the city. “Over the past year, the Metro has witnessed different versions of me,” he said.

"It has carried me to interviews when I was looking for opportunities, to work when I was trying to build my career, and to places where I made new memories. I’ve spent countless hours inside those trains, sometimes excited about something, sometimes worried about life, and sometimes simply trying to figure out what comes next," Sabeer said.

Sudanese expat Sahar recalled the time when she was looking for a job in the UAE. "It was a lifeline for me in the initial few days,” she said. “I used it to take it every day. Once, some of us friends took the Metro all the way from Ibn Battuta to Centerpoint because one of us had to pick up something and we just spent the entire journey talking.

"I used to travel to all my interviews on it. And once, I was typing something furiously and someone even offered me a job on the metro. If that offer had come before I got my job, I would have probably even taken it," Sahar shared.

Nepalese expat Manu Adhikari has also been an avid metro user since she arrived in Dubai in August 2025 — first while she was hunting for a job and now as an employee. "The metro probably knows more of my prayers from those days than anyone else," she reflected.

For Alisha, one of the best parts of the Metro ride is the community. "Even during rush hour, when there is a lot of pushing and shoving, there is also a sense of community,” she said. "Everyone looks out for each other. Once, I was having a bad day and crying and someone offered me a chocolate. Another time, I had a fight with someone on the phone and afterwards turned to the random stranger next to me and vented."

She said that she even made a lifelong friend on the Metro. “I was going to write an exam and I was stressing out,” she recalled. “So, I turned to the girl next to me and we started talking. She was also going to write the same exam. Afterwards, we went for breakfast together. We still keep in touch and call each other.”

Manu shared how a girl sitting next to her asked about the books she read. "I was reading a book by BP Koirala when she asked if I had completed my previous book," she said. "I was surprised. She said she had seen me reading. While getting down, she asked me 'What will be the last sentence you want to say before you die'. After that, I discovered something within myself. But isn't it beautiful how a stranger can make you think differently."

For Shan, the biggest highlight is the metro staff. “What I really appreciate is how the Metro staff treat people,” he said. “I’ve seen them patiently helping confused passengers, answering questions and guiding people who don’t know where to go.”

He concluded that the metro was all about the human connections. “Sometimes, in a city where everyone seems to be busy with their own lives, a simple conversation with a stranger can feel good,” he said. “I’ve heard some of their stories, and sometimes I’ve shared a little bit of mine too. Those small human connections are probably what I remember the most.”

Watch: Sheikh Mohammed shares how Dubai Metro makes commute easy for millionsHow RTA keeps Dubai Metro running for 850,000 passengers dailyDubai Metro Blue Line: Stunning skyline, creek views await train passengers