Dubai Loop Aims To Transform Mobility With Boring Company Agreement At WGS 2026

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has agreed a strategic partnership with The Boring Company at the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2026 to launch the Dubai Loop passenger tunnel system. The scheme starts with a 6.4km pilot between key business and retail hubs and is planned to grow to a 22.2km network with 19 stations.

The first phase of Dubai Loop is budgeted at about AED565 million. Delivery of this pilot route is expected within one year after final design work and site preparations. The full 22.2km alignment is estimated to cost around AED2 billion, with construction projected to take roughly three years once detailed designs are approved.

The pilot Dubai Loop corridor will run for 6.4km between Dubai International Financial Centre and Dubai Mall, with four stations planned along this stretch. Once expanded, the network will extend 22.2km, linking Dubai World Trade Centre and the financial district with Business Bay through a total of 19 stations serving dense urban areas.

Dubai Loop will consist of tunnels dedicated to vehicle transport, each with an internal diameter of 3.6 metres. The Boring Company plans to use advanced tunnelling methods designed to speed up delivery, lower construction costs and reduce disruptions to existing roads, utilities and nearby infrastructure compared with traditional surface transport schemes.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said, "The project represents a qualitative addition to Dubai’s transport ecosystem, as it enhances integration between different mobility modes and provides flexible and efficient first- and last-mile solutions. Studies have demonstrated the project’s efficiency in terms of capacity and operating costs, with the pilot route expected to serve around 13,000 passengers per day, while the full route is projected to have a total capacity of approximately 30,000 passengers per day."

Al Tayer added that the agreement aligns with directives from Dubai’s leadership to deepen international cooperation in innovation and advanced technologies. The partnership supports ambitions to keep Dubai among leading global cities for future mobility, improve quality of life, and ease movement for residents and visitors as the Emirate’s urban and economic activity expands.

Dubai Loop partnership with The Boring Company

The deal formally connects RTA with the US-based The Boring Company, which specialises in tunnel systems and passenger transport concepts. The agreement was signed by Mattar Al Tayer and James Fitzgerald, Global Vice President of Business Development at The Boring Company, in the presence of senior representatives from both organisations during WGS 2026 sessions.

Steve Davis, President of The Boring Company, said, "We are proud to partner with the RTA, one of the world’s leading entities in adopting innovative solutions in the transport sector. Through this partnership, we look forward to delivering advanced, safe, and highly efficient tunnelling solutions that support Dubai’s vision for sustainable and future mobility."

The signing at WGS 2026 follows an earlier agreement during the previous edition of the summit, when RTA asked The Boring Company to study Dubai Loop’s feasibility. During that study phase, RTA supplied geotechnical information, data on utilities and structures, environmental risk assessments, and technical standards used for transport systems within Dubai.

In return, The Boring Company prepared engineering studies for the Dubai Loop system, including safety documentation and alignment proposals. The work was carried out with international consulting firms and overseen by financial and legal advisers. The objective was to define a partnership model and delivery structure that best supports Dubai Loop’s long-term operation across the Emirate’s main business corridors.

The Dubai Loop initiative is set to become part of a broader mobility network that links major commercial and tourism districts while easing congestion on surface roads. For the UAE and the wider Middle East, the project illustrates how tunnel-based systems may complement metro, tram and road networks, providing another option for moving people efficiently in dense city environments.

With inputs from WAM