Nakheel, RTA study strategic partnership for linking Palm Islands to Dubai Metro network

The expert teams from both sides were led by Adnan Al Naqi, Managing Director of Palm Deira and General Executive Coordinator of Dubai World, and Abdul Majeed Khaja, Executive Director of RTA.

They discussed several proposals:

• Linking Palm Jumeirah's monorail system to Metro Dubai and the tram way planned for Al Sfouh Road, a major thoroughfare.

• Linking the Metro network to Jumeirah Lake Towers and Ibn Batuta Mall.

• Linking Palm Deira to Metro Dubai.

Dubai World's team included Abdullah Bin Sulayem, Operations Director of Palm Deira, Ahmad Bin Sulayem, COO of Dubai Multi Commodities Center, and Osama Al Hamshari, First Manager, Engineering Services, Palm Deira.

The RTA delegation included Abdul Redha Hussain Abu Al Hassan, Director of Planning and Design, Ramadan Abdullah Mohammad, Director of Operations Department, Muna Abdulrahman Saleh Al Osaimi, Planning Manager, Mohammad Saeed bin Darwish, Design Supervisor, and Ali Akbar Ahrary, railway specialist.

The two sides agreed that linking Palm Jumeirah's monorail to the Metro Dubai network and the tramways of Al Sufouh Road will require locating the two stations as close to each other as possible in order to ensure commuting convenience.

They also agreed that it is essential for the stations to meet the needs of the Jumeirah Lake Towers project.

It was also agreed that the plan to connect Palm Deira to Metro Dubai needed more studies on how to allow for the Green Line to pass through Palm Deira and link it to the Blue Line in the long run.

Today's meeting was one of the highest level contacts between Dubai World and the Roads and Transport Authority aimed at coordinating the mass transport requirements of Nakheel's iconic Palm Island projects.

Adnan Al Naqi, Managing Director of Palm Deira and General Executive Coordinator of Dubai World, said: "The talks are intended to secure the highest level of coordination and to enhance the principles of true strategic partnership adopted by Dubai World in its relations with different government authorities."