UAE | Traffic and Transport

Journey offers fascinating sights

It was a time of euphoria at Al Rashidiya Metro station from where the first train set off yesterday morning at 6.20.

By Anjana Sankar, Senior Reporter
Published: 22:57 September 10, 2009

Image Credit: Javed Nawab/Gulf News
Commuters cannot help but enjoy themselves on the Dubai Metro at Deira City Centre Station.

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Dubai: It was a time of euphoria at Al Rashidiya Metro station from where the first train set off yesterday morning at 6.20.

Delirious cries of joy and thundering rounds of applause echoed from Platform No 1 as eager residents started their long-awaited journey.

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However, when the train started weaving its way through the city, the excitement was replaced by fascination as the first commuters caught a glimpse the picturesque sights of the city.

Skyscrapers, shopping malls, lush greens fringing the highways, serpentine bridges coiling across the main roads - put simply, the panoramic views of Dubai which the Metro offers are breathtaking.

"It is only when I see these landmarks that I realise I am in Dubai. When you look through the windows from both sides, it seems as though the landscape of Dubai has changed forever," said Mahindra Raj, a passenger.

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After Terminal 3 of the Dubai International Airport, which offers some great sights of the massive structure of the terminal, the train moves on through the heart of Deira.

One striking view is that of the sail-like structure of the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club - the 18-hole man-made golfer's paradise in the Gulf.

However, the hallmark Dubai Creek is missed as the train dips through a long dark tunnel.

"When you are under the tunnel, it seems as though [you] in the London subway. I am kind of lost as I cannot figure out which part of the city the train is passing through," Neil McCain, a British resident, said.

As light filters in the tunnel, the Metro chugs along Bur Dubai and offers a glimpse of the golden pyramid on top of Wafi City, Spinneys and the Centre-point Apartments.

The Dubai World Trade Centre looms close as the Metro takes a turn and runs parallel to Shaikh Zayed road. The tall structures defining Dubai's skyline stare right past commuter as they zoom past busy traffic on the street below. One of the most compelling views is that of the Burj Dubai which towers above other concrete structures cramming the skyline.

The majestic grandeur of Burj Al Arab arising out of the Jumeirah Beach is also a feast to the eye.

The picturesque view gets intense as the train rolls past the new development alongside the Greens and further to Ibn Battuta Mall.

The sprawling Emirates Golf Course signals the end of the run and is close to the station at the Nakheel Harbour.

The enchanting views will surely have commuters coming back for more.