Dubai Loop explained: Why you can't drive your own car in it

Dubai: Dubai’s newly announced Loop system is designed to move people, not cars, with people booking trips at stations and being transported underground without driving at any point, according to senior officials involved in the project.

The Dubai Loop will operate as a people mover system, focusing on first- and last-mile journeys while bypassing surface congestion. Electric vehicles will carry passengers through dedicated underground tunnels, with trips starting only from designated stations. Private cars will not enter the system.

“If you are in the DIFC area and you want to go to Dubai Mall or a destination on the way, you go to the station and order the service,” Hamad Alshehhi, Director of Roads Department at Roads and Transport Authority, told Gulf News on the sidelines of World Governments Summit.

He stressed that the Loop is not an open road network. “You cannot drive your own car. This is a system where the cars are used to move people from point to point,” Alshehhi said. “You don’t drive in the Loop. You just utilise the service.”

The electric vehicles will move independently through the tunnels using an operating system, delivering passengers directly between stations. The tunnels, with a diameter of 3.6 metres, are built specifically for this purpose and are not accessible to the general road network.

Drivers first, autonomy later

The system, according to Alshehhi, will be operated by the boring company using electric vehicles, and in this case, it will be Tesla. Autonomous electric vehicles are expected to be introduced in later phases once operations are established and regulatory approvals are in place. The service will be open to both residents and tourists, according to RTA.

“This tunnel is not open for public driving,” Alshehhi said. “It is a people mover system that will be utilised by residents and visitors of Dubai.”

Construction of the first phase will begin immediately and is expected to be completed within two years. The 6.4-kilometre pilot route will connect Dubai International Financial Centre to Dubai Mall, cutting travel time from around 20 minutes to about three minutes.

The initial phase will include four stations and forms part of a broader plan to expand the Loop across key business and commercial districts.

Pricing to be announced later

Competitive pricing will be introduced, with details to be announced closer to launch. Booking systems and apps will also be revealed at a later stage, according to RTA.

The first phase of the project involves an investment of about Dh565 million. The full Dubai Loop is expected to span more than 22 kilometres, with 19 stations, connecting areas including Dubai World Trade Centre, the financial district, and Business Bay, and the total project is estimated at around Dh2 billion.