Dubai Metro beefs up surveillance with 1,000 new cameras

A thousand new security cameras will be installed on Dubai Metro stations over the next two years, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has said.

Currently, over 4,000 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras are installed across trains and stations on the Dubai Metro for safety and security purposes.

Most of our movements, actions, and travel behaviour is captured on screen, be it a regular commute, a child getting lost or a pickpocket at work. Although most of the surface on a Metro station is covered, there are blind spots, or areas that do not make it to the angle of the camera.

“We came to the conclusion that a lot of areas are currently not properly monitored, and these areas mainly include the Metro stations,” said Mohammad Al Mudharreb, Director of the Rail Operations Department.

Safety on the Metro network is monitored in cooperation with Dubai Police, which recently pointed out the need of more cameras on Metro stations, he elaborated.

A thousand extra cameras should increase the coverage of the security camera, and with that the safety standards on the Dubai Metro network.

“The addition of new cameras on the Metro network is part of a general safety enhancement procedure,” commented Al Mudharreb.

It is not clear which stations will be refurbished with the ‘extra eyes’, as the number of cameras required differs per station design, he added.

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