Tram systems in Dubai
Dubai is a major city on the Persian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates and the principal city of the emirate of Dubai. It is an international centre for trade, business and tourism, known for its high-rise skyline, extensive shopping facilities and waterfront developments.
The city extends along the coast, with several distinct business and residential districts. Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Palm Jumeirah form a major concentration of homes, hotels and visitor attractions to the southwest of the older city.
Dubai’s public transport network includes the Metro, buses, trams and marine services. The Metro’s Red and Green lines provide the main urban rail connections, while buses extend coverage and provide local links. The separate Palm Monorail serves Palm Jumeirah.
Dubai Tram provides local transport around Dubai Marina and the neighbouring coastal districts. It connects with the Metro Red Line at Sobha Realty and DMCC, allowing passengers to travel between the tram corridor and other parts of the city.
Opened in November 2014, Dubai Tram consists of a single 10.6 km line with 11 stops. It serves Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence before continuing along the coastal corridor through Media City and Knowledge Village to Al Sufouh. The route links residential areas, hotels, shopping facilities and business and education districts.
The line, identified as T1, has a terminus at Al Sufouh and a one-way loop at the Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence end. Trams arriving from Al Sufouh pass through Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residence 1, Jumeirah Beach Residence 2, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Dubai Marina Mall before returning through Dubai Marina towards Al Sufouh.
Dubai Marina tram stop connects with Sobha Realty metro station, while Jumeirah Lakes Towers tram stop connects with DMCC metro station. Palm Jumeirah tram stop provides a walking connection to Palm Gateway station on the Palm Monorail.
Further information about the line is available in the Lines tab.
Keolis MHI — Dubai Tram
Keolis MHI operates Dubai Tram on behalf of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), which oversees Dubai’s public transport network and provides passenger information, maps and timetables.
Dubai Tram was developed to serve the rapidly expanding coastal districts around Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Al Sufouh. It was intended to provide local connections within these areas and link them with the wider public transport network, helping to reduce dependence on road transport.
Originally known as the Al Sufouh Tram project, the scheme moved forward with a construction contract awarded in 2008 to an Alstom-led consortium. The initial programme envisaged passenger services beginning in 2011, although the opening ultimately took place in 2014. The first of the fleet’s 11 Citadis trams arrived in December 2013, ahead of testing and commissioning.
Dubai Tram was officially inaugurated on 11 November 2014, with public passenger services beginning the following morning. The opening network comprised 10.6 km of route and 11 stops, serving Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residence and the corridor towards Al Sufouh.
The system introduced several distinctive features. Ground-level electricity supply allowed the entire passenger route to operate without overhead wires, while enclosed, air-conditioned stations with platform screen doors were designed for Dubai’s hot climate. These features made the project a notable development in modern tramway design.
Services were initially operated by Serco. In September 2021, responsibility for operating Dubai Tram transferred to Keolis MHI alongside the operation and maintenance of Dubai Metro.
A separate tramway, Dubai Trolley, opened in Downtown Dubai in 2015. Developed by Emaar Properties, it used heritage-style double-deck vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells and batteries, serving a short route along Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard. It was independent of the RTA’s Dubai Tram network.
Although a larger network was proposed, only the initial section entered service. The trolley was reported out of operation by 2019, bringing this short-lived chapter of Dubai’s tramway history to an end.
Dubai currently has 1 tram line, which is listed below.
| Line | Description |
|---|---|
| T1 | Line T1 runs from Al Sufouh via Knowledge Village, Palm Jumeirah and Media City to a one-way loop serving Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Jumeirah Lakes Towers. |
Dubai Tram has a 10.6 km passenger route with 11 stops, serving Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Al Sufouh. The line uses a dedicated tram alignment, with controlled crossings where it intersects roads and pedestrian routes. Trams have priority over road traffic.
The entire passenger route uses Alstom’s APS ground-level power supply system, removing the need for overhead wires. Electricity is collected from a conductor rail between the running rails. The conductor is divided into short sections which are energised only while covered by a tram, allowing the system to be used at street level.
All passenger stations are enclosed and air-conditioned. Platform screen doors open in alignment with the tram doors, separating passengers from the track and helping to retain cooled air within the stations. The system also incorporates automatic train protection and signalling equipment to supervise tram movements.
The fleet consists of 11 Alstom Citadis 402 trams, supplied for the opening of the system in 2014. Each vehicle is approximately 44 metres long and comprises seven articulated sections.
The interiors are divided into standard Silver Class accommodation, a Gold Class section and a designated area for women and children. Passenger facilities include air-conditioning, information displays and onboard security systems. The vehicles have distinctive diamond-shaped cab fronts and were designed and assembled at Alstom’s La Rochelle factory in France.
The trams were adapted for the Gulf climate, with equipment designed to withstand extreme heat, humidity and airborne sand. Their maximum operating speed is 50 km/h.