Indian cities, especially Mumbai, often remain in the news because of heavy crowding in local trains and metro services. In contrast, it’s believed that Dubai’s public transport is well managed, but a recent
image shows something else. The picture shows a packed Dubai Metro station, where passengers are standing close to each other. The person who posted the image claimed it was taken recently and used it to compare transport systems in India.
A closer look revealed that the photo is not new. It was taken in 2020 during the Gulfood exhibition, a major event that attracts large crowds to the city. While the same level of rush has not been reported this year, several news reports mentioned that the UAE city did face heavy traffic in some areas recently.
Viral Image Shows Heavy Rush At Dubai Metro
The image posted on X (Formerly Twitter) came with the caption, “Scenes at Dubai Metro, is struggling to manage the crowd at the metro. Still, some people love to blame everything in India.”
When someone asked Grok about the authenticity of the picture, the AI model replied, “Yes, Dubai Metro has faced overcrowding issues in January 2026, with user reports of chaotic peak hours at stations like OnPassive and Business Bay. Expansions are planned, such as a 65% capacity boost at Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall. The photo appears authentic, but may not be from today.”
Yes, Dubai Metro has faced overcrowding issues in January 2026, with user reports of chaotic peak hours at stations like OnPassive and Business Bay. Expansions are planned, such as a 65% capacity boost at Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall. The photo appears authentic but may not be from…
— Grok (@grok) January 28, 2026
Reacting to the post, a user wrote, “Dubai Metro is legit Ghatkopar – Versova line. You don’t miss Mumbai much there.”
Another shared, “Gulffood, the biggest exhibition that attracts lakhs of visitors with 2000+ companies, is going on and during every such big expo, the scenes are the same. No one hangs out of a running train and dies like Mumbai locals.”
“Every metro system in the world faces rush and crowd management challenges — whether it’s Dubai, London or New York. But somehow, some people love blaming only India for everything. Instead of constant criticism, we should take pride in how far our infrastructure has come and keep pushing for better. Perspective matters,” a comment read.
One more added, “Where are the native Dubai people? This is like the Bengaluru metro crowd, where more than 50% people are not Bangaloreans.”
RTA Advises Using Metro To Avoid Traffic
According to Time Out Dubai, the Gulfood event began on January 26 and will run until January 30. It is being held at two large locations in the city, the Dubai World Trade Centre and the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City. To manage a massive crowd, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) issued a travel advisory for residents and visitors. They asked people attending the event to use the Metro when travelling to and from the venues, as it is the easiest way to avoid traffic during the busy days.
