Obayashi Corporation
The Dubai Metro is a driverless, fully automated metro network in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai. The network has two third rail collection system powered lines that both run underground in the city center and on elevated viaducts elsewhere on double tracks. The first phase of the network was built by Dubai Rapid Link (DURL) Consortium which comprises Japanese companies including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation, Obayashi Corporation, Kajima Corporation and the Turkish company Yapi Merkezi. The Dubai Metro is operated by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority. The Dubai Metro system is the longest fully automated rail system in the world. Completion of the first section of the system finished and was inaugurated on 2009. Plans for the Dubai Metro began under the directive of Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who expected Dubai's other projects to attract 15 million visitors by 2010. This combined with Dubai's rapidly growing population expected to reach 3 million by 2017 and severe traffic congestion necessitated the building of an urban rail system to provide additional capacity to public transportation, relieve motor traffic, and provide infrastructure for additional development.