Dubai Metro is 40% of the way to LED lighting, saving 14 million kWh a year

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) says it has finished 40% of a project to replace the lighting across Dubai Metro with LED units. So far 17,880 of the network's 44,700 conventional lights have been changed, and the authority expects to finish in 2027.

The first two phases are complete. They covered the footbridges that lead into stations and the passenger and staff areas of stations on the Red and Green Lines, the parts of the system riders use every day. The third phase, now under way and on schedule according to RTA, moves behind the scenes: Metro car parks, tunnels, extension buildings and the power distribution stations that feed the trains.

The case for the change is in the numbers RTA published. Each LED unit can run for up to 11 years non-stop, against about a year for a conventional bulb, which spares 12 to 13 replacements per light over its life and 6 to 7 hours of maintenance work each time. Once all 44,700 lights are done, the network is expected to use more than 14 million kWh less electricity a year. The work is being carried out with Keolis MHI, the company that runs and maintains Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram.

Dawood Alrais, director of rail maintenance at RTA's Rail Agency, called the project "a strategic investment in the sustainability of Dubai Metro's assets" and said the new lights would also improve reliability and the passenger experience.

The upgrade comes as the network grows: the Blue Line, which will add new stations in Mirdif, Al Warqa, International City and Dubai Creek Harbour, is under construction, and new stations are being built with modern systems from the start.

For riders, the switch happens quietly: stations stay open while lights are changed, and there is nothing to do or book. Brighter, steadier lighting on platforms and footbridges is the visible part; the lower power bill and fewer maintenance closures are the parts passengers will not see.