As the city gears up for Global Encounters 2025, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has announced extended metro hours during the festival. Trains will run beyond midnight, ensuring seamless transport for tens of thousands of visitors. It’s a big move for mobility – and real estate.
It’s late. The lights of Dubai twinkle like stars reflected on polished steel. At the Dubai Mall metro station, a group of festival-goers—faces painted, flags in hand—rush down the platform, laughing. The clock shows 12:30 a.m., but the next train is still coming. This is no ordinary week.
From February 3 to 9, 2025, Dubai will host the Global Encounters Festival, a massive cultural gathering drawing artists, thinkers, and thousands of curious minds from across the globe. To match the scale, the RTA is extending metro operating hours. Instead of the usual midnight close, the trains will now run until 1:00 a.m. – and potentially even later on key days.
The move is strategic: over 100,000 attendees are expected across various venues. By keeping the Metro running longer, Dubai ensures visitors can explore the city freely, attend late-night events, and return safely. It’s a powerful symbol of a city that never sleeps – and doesn’t want its guests to, either.
For property investors, this is more than a service upgrade. Areas along the Metro – especially Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, and the expanding Expo corridor – are becoming even more desirable. Improved connectivity means rising demand, higher property values, and long-term return on investment. The tracks may be steel, but the message is gold.
