Dubai Metro: How 9,000 cameras track 850,000 riders, 101 trains, 53 stations

Dubai: Inside Dubai Metro's Operations Control Centre (OCC), 20 staff members keep a vigilant 24/7 watch over one of the world's longest driverless metro systems. Through a wall of massive screens displaying live feeds from 9,000 cameras, they monitor movements of around 850,000 daily passengers and operations of 101 trains and 55 stations.

Hidden inside the OCC is another control room where Dubai Police run a high-tech surveillance system that monitors the entire network to ensure the safety and security of Dubai Metro, its passengers, and its employees.

These details were revealed during a media tour of the highly secured OCC in Rashidiya on Friday.

Hassan Al Mutawa, Director of Rail Operations at the Rail Agency of Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), revealed how this mostly automated "nerve centre" of the rail network operates around the clock to maintain Dubai Metro's world-class performance.

“There are different layers of staff monitoring the operations,” he said.

Round-the-clock operations

The control room operates with military precision through three distinct layers of supervision. The first layer monitors daily performance and operations during service hours from 5am to midnight (till 1am on Saturday morning and on special occasions).

The entire metro network has been categorised into various segments, said Al Mutawa.

"For each segment, there is a dedicated agent or staff looking into the activities within the trains and the stations. In case of any failure or incident, the agent or the staff will directly act based on the procedures and the protocol of resuming the service."

The second layer focuses on depot operations, monitoring maintenance areas and tracking alarms across Dubai Metro's extensive network. A third layer comprises duty managers who oversee all daily activities.

Coordinated security response

Working closely with Dubai Police, the control centre coordinates security responses across the network. "We are monitoring the operation in coordination with the police. If any incident happens, we have the control at this control centre here, and they [the police] directly communicate with the staff they have in the station,” explained Al Mutawa.

Access to the control room operated by Dubai Police is highly restricted, and as a result, media representatives were not permitted entry.

Technology at work

The OCC leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive technology to maintain Dubai Metro's impressive 99.7% on-time performance, ranking it among the world's top five metro systems.

"We have some golden assets. We have installed some sensors to know the condition of these assets, and we know if any failure will happen or not,” pointed out Al Mutawa.

This remote condition monitoring system allows staff to take proactive measures before failures occur. The centre also monitors more than 10 subsystems supporting metro operations, along with station fire systems, lighting, lifts and environmental sensors that check temperature levels.

Flood response overhaul

The 2024 floods marked the biggest challenge in Dubai Metro's history, prompting a complete overhaul of emergency response procedures. As the metro celebrated its 16th anniversary on September 9, Al Mutawa reflected on lessons learned from that unprecedented event.

"The flood was a new experience in Dubai. It never happened before and thank God we managed to get the services back on track very soon."

In April 2024, unprecedented rainfall in Dubai, the heaviest in 75 years, led to major flooding that severely disrupted the Dubai Metro network. Some stations on both the Red and Green Lines were forced to close temporarily.

Enhanced emergency preparedness

Following the floods, Al Mutawa said the RTA has completely revamped its emergency response protocols. “At RTA and the Rail Agency, we learn from the lessons. Preparing a full plan for any natural emergency is now a priority for us — whether it’s rain, humid, or even windy days,” he said.

The new emergency plans undergo regular testing to ensure they are fit for purpose and can help maintain services during extreme weather events.

Continuous upgrades

The control centre constantly evolves with regular system upgrades and enhancements. Recent improvements include upgrades to the system for the train movement and the Nol card system that handles ticketing across Dubai's public transport network.

“We are constantly updating the system. We are upgrading the back-end system to prevent any issues from happening during operations,” Al Mutawa said.

Managing massive scale

Since its launch on 09/09/09, the Metro has transported over 2.4 billion riders across more than 4.3 million journeys. The Metro remains the backbone of Dubai’s public transport system. In the first half of 2025 alone, 143.9 million people used the Red and Green Lines.

Despite monitoring such a vast network, the control centre operates with remarkable efficiency using just 20 personnel supported by 1,800 total staff across operations, maintenance and safety. "We are depending on the systems, the AI and the intelligence of these systems," Al Mutawa said.

The centre manages peak and off-peak periods by adjusting train frequency, injecting more trains during busy times and reducing services during quieter periods to maintain comfort of millions of passengers including UAE residents and visitors.

Future expansion?

While planning continues for the upcoming Blue Line expansion, the current control centre,  backed up by another in Jebel Ali, remains focused on maintaining world-class service standards for the existing Red and Green Lines. “My responsibility here is to ensure that our passengers using the metro travel in a safe and smooth manner,” Al Mutawa emphasised.