How 1.8-metre Barriers called ‚FloodWall‘ are saving Dubai Metro from heavy rain
Dubai: If you’ve passed through Dubai Metro stations like OnPassive recently, you may have spotted sturdy barriers set up at the entrances as heavy rain and strong winds approach. These aren’t just temporary measures, they’re part of a carefully planned response shaped by lessons from one of the UAE’s most significant weather events.
Why barriers have appeared outside some Dubai Metro stations
On April 16, 2024, the UAE endured its most intense rainfall in 75 years. The deluge overwhelmed infrastructure of some Dubai Metro stations – Onpassive, Equiti, Mashreq, and Energy, which were forced suspend operations as floodwater inundated their surroundings.
In the aftermath, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) moved swiftly to identify the most vulnerable points across the network. Several above-ground stations were found to sit in low-lying areas particularly susceptible to rapid water accumulation and it was clear that a practical, deployable solution was urgently needed.
The answer came in the form of FloodWall, a flood barrier system developed by Norwegian manufacturer AquaFence – a company with considerable experience protecting critical infrastructure from extreme weather events.
Dubai-based Avalon Access Technical Services, operating through a joint venture with AquaFence, secured the contract to supply and implement the system for RTA. The barriers called ‘FloodWall’ are installed at heights of 1.2 and 1.8 metres and now form protective perimeters around four of the Metro’s most at-risk stations.
By Zainab Husain, Features Writer https://gulfnews.com/
