“Dubai Loop” and “Skypod” transport 150,000 passengers per hour to cope with traffic congestion.

The Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai revealed the details of a package of innovative future projects, during the 11th session of the Dubai International Forum for Project Management, organized by the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai, which included the “Dubai Loop” project, the “Skypod” suspended transport unit system, in addition to a trackless tram system, and the sustainable means of transportation “Rail Bus”, in a step that reflects its ambitious vision to reformulate the urban transportation system in the emirate.

Through a brochure entitled “A Century of Transportation in Dubai,” which it made available to visitors to the forum, the authority revealed the features of these future projects, whose total capacity reaches 150,000 passengers per hour, with 100,000 passengers for the “Dubai Loop” project, and 50,000 passengers for the “Skypod” system, as part of the move to transfer part of the traffic to the sky and underground, away from crowded roads.

According to the brochure, which Emirates Today viewed, the “Dubai Loop” project, which is still under study, reimagines the way people move through the city, by converting long commutes into just a few minutes, while the “Skypod” system was described as a combination between the sky train and ski lifts, and is considered a qualitative step in Dubai’s march towards a smarter, greener and more connected future.

The system relies on self-driving electric capsules that glide quietly on a carbon composite track suspended at a height of 7.5 metres. Each capsule can accommodate four to six passengers, providing a quiet transportation experience that is different from traditional public transportation. It contributes to redefining the concept of traditional transportation forever. When you slide into the “Skypod,” the city will open up as if it were a future dream, and peak hours will turn into something like an “aerial ballet,” and not a hardship, as the trips will be exciting and calm through Clouds, which turns the daily commute into a stunning display.

In detail, the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority confirmed in its “A Century of Mobility in Dubai” brochure that the “Dubai Loop” project (currently under study) and that the future partnership with Elon Musk’s company “The Burg Company” reimagines the way people move through the city. The project will be an underground tunnel 17 kilometers long, and will transport up to 100,000 passengers per hour, with a promise of a travel speed of up to 160 kilometers per hour, which turns long commutes into just a few minutes. Pointing out that if this project is realized, this wormhole-like vision, as Musk described it, could be a qualitative leap in this field, and by following up on the project, “the authority is sending a strong message that Dubai is determined to shape the future.”

According to the brochure, the Roads and Transport Authority’s “Skypod” system – which is still under study – is described as “a combination between a skytrain and a ski lift,” and is the latest revolutionary step in the emirate’s journey towards a smarter, greener, and more connected future. The “Skypod” system will include driverless electric pods that glide silently on a carbon composite beam, suspended 7.5 meters above the ground, and each of which can carry four to six passengers. At speeds of up to 150 kilometers per hour, providing a quiet and scenic alternative to traditional public transport, the planned routes will cover 65 kilometres, with an initial capacity of 20,000 passengers per hour, and future capacity is expected to reach 50,000 passengers per hour.

This transformative effort is a bold leap towards achieving Dubai’s 2030 goal of making 25% of trips without drivers, and by taking transportation to the sky, away from crowded roads. The SkyPod will significantly reduce the floor space used in urban mobility. The SkyPod network may use 100 times less floor space than traditional means of transportation, and achieve five times higher energy efficiency than electric vehicles.

At the same time, Dubai is also exploring partnerships with the American company “SkyTran” and “Unitsky String Technologies” from Belarus, which strengthens the emirate’s commitment to public rapid transit innovation. These weather systems are particularly suitable for dense urban environments such as Dubai, where heat and humidity make walking and cycling less feasible all year round.

On the other hand, the Authority is studying the deployment of a “trackless tram” system, which runs on electricity and is environmentally friendly, with lower costs and a faster construction time compared to traditional trams. Each tram consists of three cars with a capacity of up to 300 passengers, with a maximum speed of up to 70 kilometers per hour, and an operational speed ranging between 25 and 60 kilometers per hour. The tram can cover a distance of up to 100 kilometers on a single charge.

The brochure pointed out that the Roads Authority offered an innovative transportation solution, the “Rail Bus,” which runs on solar energy and aims to support sustainable urban mobility. This system is in line with the UAE’s strategy to achieve (net zero emissions) by 2050.

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“A Century of Movement in Dubai”… a documentary journey that tells the story of a city that created the future

The Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai presented to visitors of the Dubai Project Management Forum an interactive book entitled “A Century of Mobility in Dubai,” documenting an inspiring journey spanning more than 100 years of work, planning and innovation in the road and transportation sector. The book takes visitors on a documented chronological journey narrated through an interactive visual presentation, starting from the “beginnings” phase (1925 – 1965), which laid the first foundations for transportation and infrastructure, through the “Renaissance Years” phase. (1965 – 1995), which witnessed rapid urban expansion and development of road networks, then the “development” phase (1995 – 2020), which represented a qualitative shift in smart planning and integration of transportation systems, leading to the “2021 and beyond into the future” phase, where the emirate looks forward to the future prospects of transportation based on innovation, sustainability, and advanced technologies. The visual presentation accompanying the book reflects an interactive experience, during which the visitor moves between stages of time through a wall. A visual documenting the major transformations in the transportation structure, supported by archival photos, historical evidence, and decision-making personalities in a living connection between the past, present, and future, and to confirm that the qualitative projects that Dubai is witnessing today are an extension of a long process of strategic planning and investment in people and technology, which has made the emirate a global model in efficiency, leadership, and sustainability.

• A 17-kilometre-long underground worm tunnel, with a travel speed of up to 160 kilometers per hour, turning long trips into just a few minutes.

• “Skypod” is a combination of a sky train and ski lifts, and is a qualitative step in Dubai’s journey towards a smarter, greener and more connected future.