Dubai Metro
Dubai metro is a blessing to not just residents but tourists as well. Riding the Dubai metro is definitely fun too, you get to see Dubai from a different angle. Plus you can also hop on and off and visit most of the attractions of Dubai as it is well connected to all places and shopping malls. I still remember shortly after opening Dubai metro everybody in Dubai wanted to experience the ride. We too joined that crowd and grabbed a place in the last compartment, where we could see the rails! Below is the video was taken in Sept 2009, enjoy! 🙂
Almost 6-7 months back I started my ‘riding public transport project’ again, this time for my son and the results are joyful exclamations and buckets of excitement! But remember while taking your kids on public transport you need to keep in mind that it is heavily used by many people for regular commuting. Better avoid rush (office) hours. Minimize your luggage and avoid taking prams or strollers, better to carry your kids on your arms especially for Dubai Metro. There are enough ramps everywhere and dedicated places in the metro, bus, and trams to keep strollers. But without them, I found it easier and your kids are going to co-operate with you for sure!
Public Buses
Water Taxis, Ferries & Abras
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| Riding Water taxi |
There are many water taxies used by people for regular commute between Bur and Deira Dubai. But to add some more fun, we opted for the ferry from Marina to Palm Jumeira and back this time. It was a total success! It was again my son’s 1st boat ride, with repetitions of ‘row row row your boat’ song, I had to answer many more questions. For Ex. Cars don’t run in the water they run on the road. Only boats run in waters (I avoided talking about amphibious vehicles to reduce confusion). Also, we can’t go out of the boat, because we’ll have to swim and our clothes will get wet. We spent a great time waving to other boats, some people even waved back from those boats. My son talked to a few of the passengers and they were happy to interact with him. But the highlight of this ride was bird feeding. At the start of the ride, the staff brought kabobs and threw the pieces in the air towards birds and birds caught these pieces in the air. That was a very interesting part, almost everyone came out on the deck. Ruhaan got to throw a few khaboos and he got very excited when those flying seagulls caught his pieces.
But riding Abra in the creek between Bur Dubai and Deira Dubai is a must for every visitor. We take all of our guests for that experience and they love it. If the weather is good then you can take that traditional abras else you can opt for an air-conditioned water taxi.
Riding Al Sufou tram is still pending on our list since winter, but Ruhaan sees tram from the car and calls it metro. They look similar. 
Apart from the last ride (Marina ferry), all public transports were full of regular commuters. It shows how Dubai’s public transport is popular, convenient and sustainable. If we all park our cars and use public transport whenever possible, we could save so much fuel and reduce the carbon footprint.
Car Sharing in UAE
A few years back, when I was working as a sustainability consultant on one of the projects in Abu Dhabi; out of my social responsibility, I used to share a car with friends/colleagues while commuting to Abu Dhabi for work. That is another sustainable solution to reduce fuel use. There are many popular sites in the UAE where you can find your travel buddy like on carpool Arabia or RTA sharekni service. I have many interesting memories from car-sharing days, if you are traveling with colleagues it’s like team building activity. Otherwise, it’s a great way to get to know other cultures, share knowledge and have fun. The traffic jams are never boring if you are traveling with someone.
Every year in the winter Car-free day is celebrated in Dubai. But the public transport over here has developed to such standard that homes near metro stations have more demand. I know a few people who sold their second car and use public transport regularly inside Dubai for work. Over the past few years, I have witnessed how Dubai has become a more livable city and community through the development of sustainable transport.
After Ethihad rail, commuting between Emirates without a car will be even easier too. Let’s hope public transport in the UAE will get even better and more and more residents will use it on a regular basis.
Traditionally over 90% of fuel used for the transport sector is petroleum-based so it’s not a surprise that the transport sector has approximately 15% of global carbon emission. Among the sub-sectors, road transport is the top contributor to global warming. And therefore it’s important to use public transport.
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4 Comments
Well narrated.
Thank you Bazeeth! Glad you liked the post.
When I worked in Dubai for a half year, I used public transport while commuting from my apartment to the office. I can say that they have one of the cleanest and comfortable public transport there in Dubai. But I never try to walk for my work, even if it was about 20-25 minutes walk.
As an example nowadays I'm walking from home to my office at Writersperhour and back home. I prefer walking that transport, I walk about 4-5 miles each day. It helps me to stay feet and in a good mood.
But the only reason I didn't walk when worked in Dubai is the weather. It's almost impossible to walk at 12 am, especially in Summer.
So public transport is the best way to commute while you in Dubai.
Thank you Anthony Bergs for your sharing your experience with Dubai's public transport!
Walking 20-25 min outdoors here in summer noontime is not just possible but not even advisable. So as you said, public transport is best way to commute!
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