View from my hotel room, showing the Dubai Metro station by the Financial Centre in the foreground... During a brief visit to Dubai this weekend I had a chance to visit and ride the Dubai Metro for the first time. Why exactly it's referred to as a 'metro' I'm not too sure, as at least on the stretch which I rode, it didn't once go underground. As a matter of fact most of the 'tripping' happened about ten meters above the street level along a monorail laid adjacent to the Sheikh Zayed Road which cuts through and defines the centre of the city. The metro stations in Dubai must be amongst the cleanest stations, of any sort, I've come across, and seem closer perhaps to a amalgamation between a contemporary train station and a hotel reception. It even seemed to have a, call him, 'train-concierege' who came to my aid whilst standing, granted somewhat baffled, in front of the metro map (only a number of the indicated metro-stations are currently in use) and kindly explained the 'what's what' of the Dubai Metro. With his helpful aid I decided to go for the 'bling-bling' option of the Gold class card, which allows one to enter the foremost carriage of a train, simply because I've never before come across 'first class' travel in a metro system. The carriages themselves are somewhat 'experience neutral', with vanilla blue leather seating, accompanied by the soft buzz of the AC system and its own rendition of electronic background muzak... The ride was smooth, and uneventful - easy - just the way a trip on public trasport should be...
How this first proper and more recent regional intervention of public transport pans out remains to be seen. But Dubai has to be applauded for having the foresight to commit to this scale of a collectively beneficial venture which I suspect will eventually 'trickle up' to the more general and higher echelons of society and become a viable (and quicker) means of transport for everyone. How Dubai now deals with the supporting infrastructure, i.e. how to intergrate the other means of transport (busses, taxis, pedestrian traffic) is going to play a key part in determining its ensuing success, but the main task and commitment has already been achieved by this key urban intervention. Dubai's neighbours have a lot of catching up to do...
Above and below - The station by the Financial Centre...
The 'Gold Card' train pass...
The lower, street level, lobby of a station...
View from the 'cockpit' of the front (driverless) carriage...
The interior of the 'Gold Class' carriage - soft leather seating accompanied by the soft buzz of the AC and soothing electronic muzak... 
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