Gold Line: Dubai’s Fourth Metro Line — 42km Underground, 18 Stations, Opening 2032
Dubai has approved its most expensive transport project ever: a fully underground metro line costing AED 34bn, opening in 2032. The route, and what it means for housing along it.
On 22 April 2026, the Ruler of Dubai approved the Gold Line — the city's fourth metro line and, by total investment, the largest transport project in the emirate's history. The cost is AED 34 billion, the length 42 kilometres, with 18 stations. It will be the city's first fully underground line.
Where the line runs
The route starts at Al Ghubaiba in Bur Dubai and heads southwest to Jumeirah Golf Estates. Along the way it serves Mina Rashid, City Walk, Business Bay, Mohammed Bin Rashid City, Nad Al Sheba, Mohammed Bin Rashid Gardens, Meydan, Al Barsha South and Jumeirah Village Circle.
The metro network grows from 120 to 162 kilometres — a 35% increase. The Jumeirah Golf Estates terminus isn't arbitrary: Dubai's national rail station is being built at the same spot, and the two systems connect at that single point.
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Timeline
Tenders go out in 2026, contracts are awarded in 2027, and opening is targeted for 9 September 2032. RTA projects that congestion on the Red Line's busiest stretch, between BurJuman and ONPASSIVE, will drop by roughly a quarter, taking over 40 million trips a year off the roads.
What it means for real estate
A metro line genuinely moves prices in Dubai — but not on its own. It amplifies what's already there in a district: build quality, the surrounding environment, existing demand. A new station won't rescue a district with no environment to speak of, but it adds tenants and liquidity to one that already has it.
The other thing worth keeping in mind is the horizon. Six years separate approval from opening. Buying "for the metro" on that timeline is a bet on the district, not on the station's opening date — a lot can change around it in six years, in both construction and the mix of residents.
The practical takeaway: look at the walking distance from a specific building to a specific station, not at the line on the map. In Dubai, "near the metro" and "a ten-minute walk to the metro" are different products, priced differently in rent.
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