It was unclear at first if the Dubai Loop would precisely replicate the Boring Company’s loop project in Las Vegas.

The ‘Dubai Loop,’ an underground transit system intended to link the city’s most crowded neighborhoods, will be developed in partnership with Elon Musk’s Boring Company, Dubai revealed Thursday.

The revelation was made during a plenary session with Musk at the World Governments Summit by Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.

“Today, we are announcing the collaborative initiative of Dubai Loop, a loop project that will provide smooth transportation between the most densely populated neighborhoods of Dubai. “We want to make a difference in people’s lives,” he stated.  

According to Musk, the underground loop will resemble a wormhole.

At a virtual meeting called “Boring Cities, AI, and DOGE,” Musk stated, “It’s going to be like a like a wormhole, you just gonna worm hole from one part of the city, boom, and you’re out in another spot city, and it’s great.”

That will be fantastic. I think that would be quite exciting. When people test it, they’ll likely think, “Wow, this is really cool.” Everything will seem so obvious in retrospect, but you won’t know until you really do it. “It will be great,” he added.   

Elon Musk established The Boring Company in 2016 to provide services for building infrastructure and tunnels. It was established to construct underground transit networks in order to alleviate urban traffic congestion. The company’s primary focus is on low-cost, quick-to-dig tunnels that can accommodate high-speed transportation, freight, and automobiles.

It was unclear at first if the Dubai Loop would precisely replicate the Boring Company’s loop project in Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas Convention Centre is serviced by the Las Vegas Convention Centre Loop (LVCC Loop), an underground transit system.

The purpose of the Vegas Loop is to move people quickly in Tesla Model 3 vehicles. 

The safety of the underground tube, particularly in the event of earthquakes or severe weather, was one of the main concerns highlighted by the minister prior to the unveiling of the ambitious project.

By emphasizing the structural benefits of underground transportation over conventional roadways and even flying vehicles, Musk directly addressed these worries.

Musk clarified that underground tunnels are among the safest locations to be during an earthquake.

Similar to ocean waves, earthquakes are mostly surface phenomena. It is similar to being in a submarine during a storm when you are in a tube. You’re safe. 

He gave historical instances, such as the significant earthquake that struck Mexico City decades ago, when the underground system was the safest place to be.

Musk also noted that tunnels offer defense against severe weather events like sandstorms, which are frequent in the United Arab Emirates, in addition to earthquakes. Tunnels are impervious to outside weather disruptions, he noted, unlike roads or flying cars, which are susceptible to storms.

“Suppose you’re experiencing severe weather, such as a sandstorm, blizzard, or something similar. Well, no one can fly anymore. After then, transportation stops. However, underground transport does not have any of these issues. Thus, the tunnels are weatherproof.”It doesn’t matter what the worst weather is,” he remarked. 

Musk’s theory of a worldwide thermonuclear conflict was a step forward. Of course, tunnels would be among the safest locations in the event of worldwide thermonuclear war. In worse situations, underground offers protection. However, on a more practical level, tunnels are really helpful in reducing traffic and congestion in urban areas,” Musk stated.

Musk also talked about how tunnels, rather than flying cars or elevated roads, are a better way to relieve urban congestion.

“Cities are already 3D; our roads are still in 2D, but our structures are rising. We have traffic because of this,” he said.

Musk said that in order to solve this problem, we also need to make transportation 3D. Tunnels take you underneath, while flying cars take you above. 

Musk countered that flying automobiles have problems since they may be noisy, present a safety risk of a hubcap falling off, and be impacted by inclement weather.

However, he asserted that “none of these issues exist with the underground travel.”

Musk emphasized that the Boring Company, which is growing the Loop system that connects the convention center, the airport, and key hotels, has already demonstrated the feasibility of the tunnel concept in Las Vegas. 

In a lighthearted response, Al Olama said, “I don’t think they need to fly all the way there [to try it out]” before making his announcement regarding the Dubai Loop.

Musk’s promises raised hopes that the Dubai Loop will revolutionize urban transportation by offering a weatherproof, effective, and silent substitute for surface roadways. Although the dates and routes have not yet been disclosed, the collaboration represents a major advancement in Dubai’s aspirations to become a smart city.

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