Brief
Dubai and The Boring Company unveil underground ‘Dubai Loop’ project
UAE Minister Omar Sultan Al Olama and Elon Musk presented the plan at the World Governments Summit.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Dubai announced on 13 February 2025 a partnership with Elon Musk’s Boring Company to build the ‘Dubai Loop’, an underground transport system linking the emirate’s most densely populated districts, according to Gulf News.
What happened
The announcement was made by UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, Omar Sultan Al Olama, during a plenary session of the World Governments Summit, where Musk also appeared virtually. The project is described as a “wormhole‑like” system that will move people quickly from one point to another underground.
What the reports add
Gulf News notes that the Boring Company, founded in 2016, specializes in low‑cost, fast‑dig tunnels for vehicles, freight and high‑speed transit. It is unclear whether the Dubai Loop will follow the Las Vegas Convention Centre Loop model, which uses Tesla Model 3 cars. The article also highlights safety concerns raised by Al Olama about earthquakes and extreme weather, which Musk addressed by comparing underground tunnels to submarines in a storm.
What was said
“Today we announce the joint project of Dubai Loop, which is a loop project that is going to cover Dubai's most densely populated areas for people to go from point to point in a seamless manner. We hope to change people's lives,” Al Olama said, Gulf News reported.
“It's going to be like a wormhole, you just gonna worm hole from one part of the city, boom, and you're out in another spot in the city, and it's great,” Musk said during the virtual session.
“One of the safest places to be in an earthquake is an underground tunnel,” Musk added, noting that earthquakes are largely surface phenomena.
How it came about
The Dubai Loop follows earlier regional interest in tunnelling, such as Abu Dhabi’s partnership with the Boring Company announced on 8 October 2026, which focused on underground transport and utility tunnels. Dubai’s upcoming International Project Management Forum in January 2027 will also discuss AI‑driven infrastructure, underscoring the emirate’s broader push for advanced, resilient transport solutions.
Key facts
- Dubai announced the Dubai Loop project with the Boring Company on 13 Feb 2025. (gulfnews.com)
- UAE Minister Omar Sultan Al Olama presented the plan at the World Governments Summit. (gulfnews.com)
- Elon Musk described the Loop as a "wormhole‑like" underground system. (gulfnews.com)
- Musk said underground tunnels are safe during earthquakes, likening them to submarines. (gulfnews.com)
Sources
- [1] gulfnews.com — originally reported as “Dubai announces underground 'Dubai Loop' project with Elon Musk’s Boring Company”
