Dubai Metro: It's a 'tour guide' for the newcomers

Dubai - The Dubai Metro celebrates its ninth birthday this week.

Sunday will mark the ninth anniversary of the Dubai Metro. And while long-term residents across the city have hailed it a godsend in travel - saving on both time and money - for newcomers to the city, it's been the perfect way to get around the city to head for job interviews, or just get to grips with their new surroundings.

Indian expatriate Sharafudheen Sharafu is 30 days into a 90-day visit visa and has been going from interview to interview since arriving last month.

"I've been using the Dubai Metro almost daily. It's been helpful as I've been searching for a job so it gets me from place to place."

Travelling mainly between Union Metro, The Dubai Mall and Noor Bank, Sharafu spends just Dh26 a day on frequent travel.

"I used to live here two years ago. So I used the Metro a lot, but this time, travelling on it is a good chance to familiarise myself with the city again."

Like Sharafu, Filipino expatriate Jaypee Sandro is on the search for a job too. After leaving his most recent position as a kitchen hand, he's been using the Metro to travel from interview to interview.

"I spend around Dh230 a month on my Nol card, and that gets me travel on the Metro and the bus. It was really helpful in getting me to my last job and it really helps keep costs down," he told Khaleej Times.

Sixty days into his 90-day visit visa, Indian visitor Tintu John Abraham has been using the Metro almost every day.

"I've been travelling between industrial areas because I'm looking for a job within the automobile sector. If it wasn't for the metro, I'd find it very difficult to get around."

So far, he hasn't experienced any delays in his journeys to and from interview points, and compared to driving on the bustling streets back home and in Dubai, he said the Metro saves "on money, time and stress".

Living in Dubai for six years, Filipina expatriate Judeza Dagodog works for one of the big retail brands here. But her work sees her travelling from mall to mall.

"I'm not based in just one store, I'm based all over. I often travel between the Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Battuta and The Dubai Mall. Getting around on the Metro really helps and saves me a lot of money; which I would otherwise have to spend on taxis. And that would be a lot out of my salary."

Praising its "reliable service" and "clean and comfortable" conditions, Dagodog said she lives out in Rigga, so a usual work day trip on the metro sees her go from Union Metro Station to any one of a handful of malls.

To sum up his appreciation for Dubai Metro, Mohammed Suhil said "it saves money; it saves time; it saves me from the headache of traffic".

Living out in Sports City, Suhil is also new to Dubai and said the Metro has been like a tour guide for him.

"It has allowed me to see more of the place, without spending too much. I use about Dh20 a day on my Nol card and I usually get a bus from Sports City to the Mall of Emirates, then head to where I need to go. If I took a taxi, it would cost about 10 times this amount for the return journeys I make daily."

As the Dubai Metro celebrates its ninth birthday this week, it's plain to see the positive impact it has had on residents and visitors to the city. It's made travelling easier and cheaper for many here and most say they couldn't imagine the city living without it.

kelly@khaleejtimes.com 

• Dubai