Dubailand to have 50 km of tram and monorail lines

23 April 2008

Dubai: Dubailand will have 50 to 60 kilometres of combined tram and monorail lines to enable easy movement of people within the emirate's most ambitious leisure and entertainment zone, a senior official said.

The specific details of the internal transport system that connects Dubailand's various attractions are still being worked out, chief executive officer Mohammad Al Habbai said.

"The plan is in the concept and design stage," he said.

At least 10 kilometres of rail lines will pass through the hotel and shopping cluster of Bawadi, the Dh200 billion project that will create 60,000 guest rooms in 51 hotels and the world's longest stretch of shopping and retail space.

Al Habbai said the local transport systems will drastically cut the travel time within the zone, part of Dubai's plans to attract 15 million visitors each year by 2015.

"Today average time spent by a person on Dubai's roads is three hours daily, we want to reduce it to 25 minutes for Dubailand," he said.

Prime development

Being developed on three billion square feet of land, Dubailand will have more people living in it than Dubai's current population of more than 1.5 million.

In other infrastructure projects, Dh1.5 billion is being spent on 11 electricity sub-stations within the zone. One sub-station is ready and the rest are under construction.

Some of Dubailand projects such as the Ernie Els golf course, Autodrome, Sahara Resort and Global Village are already operating.

Al Habbai said by the end of this year a cricket stadium, two multi-use stadiums and the Manchester United football academy will be ready.

"By 2010 most of our 24 projects will be up and running," Al Habbai said, adding that most of the work is being completed on schedule despite challenges faced by the local construction industry.

Asked if Dubai can sustain huge projects like Dubailand, especially since Abu Dhabi has also embarked on mega tourism developments, Al Habbai said: "At the end of the day it is good for the UAE, whether we build projects in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah."

"It is good to create a travel and tourism destination for the whole region," he said.

The UAE is spending Dh858 billion on tourism projects and Dubai accounts for Dh454 billion, according to Al Habbai.