Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Elon Musk’s The Boring Company recently signed a memorandum of understanding to study the implementation of the Dubai Loop tunnel project in the city’s most densely populated areas.
The proposed 17-kilometer tunnel, featuring 11 stations, is designed to transport over 20,000 passengers per hour. It is part of a long-term plan to construct a citywide loop transportation network.
Commenting on the Dubai Loop project, Musk said: “It will be like a wormhole. Like, you just wormhole from one part of the city and boom you’re out in another part of the city. I think once people try it out, they will think this is really cool.”
Musk presented his vision for the future of urban mobility, noting that Dubai Loop is part of a larger plan to innovate the transport sector, utilizing a network of advanced tunnels that will allow passengers to quickly travel across the city, avoiding traffic congestion.
Musk also explained that the project would allow people to travel as if they were moving through a “wormhole” within Dubai, referring to the ability to move instantly between two points without long distances or traffic delays.
Advancing transportation technologies
RTA and The Boring Company signed the agreement for Dubai Loop during the 2025 World Governments Summit (WGS) in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. The MoU aims to strengthen the partnership between both parties in tunnel excavation and construction.
Mattar Al Tayer, director general, chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA, said the agreement involves conducting studies and exchanging information on the specifications and standards required by the RTA for innovative transport systems like Dubai Loop. It also involves insights into current and future trends in the mobility market and focuses on gathering data on system developments, pilot routes and applied safety standards.
“The MoU aligns with the directives of the leadership to forge partnerships with leading global companies, reinforcing Dubai’s position at the forefront of advanced and sustainable mobility solutions. It aims to implement cutting-edge technologies, foster innovative transport solutions, and create a dynamic ecosystem for the advancement of transportation technologies,” he said.
Al Tayer added that the Dubai Loop agreement facilitates knowledge and expertise exchange to develop transportation systems tailored to the city’s evolving needs. He also noted that the technology used in the system offers rapid execution, lower costs than conventional tunneling methods, and minimal impact on existing infrastructure and road networks.
Project to significantly reduce travel time
For his part, John Hering, lead investor and senior advisor to The Boring Company, highlighted the advantages of Dubai Loop. “The Boring Company aims to transform the transportation sector by constructing safe, fast and cost-efficient tunnels for passenger transit, utilities and freight,” he said.
He also noted that the loop system incorporates innovative and sustainable technologies, stating: “The loop system offers rapid connectivity solutions, enhancing passenger mobility and reducing travel time thanks to the speed and seamless flow of tunnel transportation.”
Hering noted that the company adopts a fully integrated vertical approach to streamline operations and reduce costs. It designs and manufactures its own Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), engineers tunnel structures and stations, operates tunnel excavation machinery and manages the underground loop transportation system.
