Since its opening in 2019, Doha Metro has revolutionised Qatar’s mass transit system — providing an efficient, affordable, and environment-friendly solution to the masses. The metro network has ferried over 100 million people since its opening, a remarkable feat and a testament to the success of the government efforts to modernise the transportation sector.
The metro also played a key role during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, safely transporting hundreds of thousands of fans to and from the stadiums and other public places. During the World Cup, 17.4 million passengers travelled on the metro to reach match venues.
It won praise by the fans and visitors for its efficiency, safety and for making the commute completely free for all the fans. Since its opening, the ridership has steadily grown, reflecting the growing confidence of citizens, residents, and visitors in Doha Metro services underpinned by network connectivity to key destinations, tourist attractions and Hamad International Airport.
Safety and sustainability has been a key feature in the design and development of the network and its stations. During the World Cup, the network operated smoothly without any incident or glitch.
Figures released by Qatar rail show the metro network transported more than 827,000 passengers on November 24, 2022, the highest daily ridership it has recorded. Stations also witnessed huge increase in daily footfall during the World Cup, with Msheireb station, which connects all three metro lines, recording approximately 405,000 passengers, on December 2, and Lusail QNB Stadium welcoming over 290,000 passengers on the World Cup final day, December 18.
To provide the first and last mile connectivity and encourage the use of public transport, the Ministry of Transport and Mowasalat (Karwa) have been operating a vast network of metrolink and metroexpress vans and buses. This service has been completely free for all from day one.
Since its launch, Doha Metro has played an instrumental role in the success of 13 key local, regional, and international sports events and tournaments, including four finals for HH the Amir’s Cup and nine regional and international events.
To further modernise and streamline the transportation sector, the government has launched the Transportation Master Plan for Qatar 2050, which works as a roadmap for investing in land transportation infrastructure and also identifies the frameworks and future orientations for developing the transportation networks nationwide in a way that ensures their integration with land uses, urban development, population growth and meeting the future demand for transportation.
