Future-Proofing Dubai: New 100-Year Drainage System Gets Green Light

Dubai is taking a massive step to future-proof itself against flooding for the next 100 years with the approval of a deep-tunnel drainage project set to protect the city.

Dubai Municipality announced that the authority has received approval for the immediate implementation of an ambitious deep-tunnel drainage project , designed to serve the emirate for the next century, a key step in the city's infrastructure resilience strategy.

The announcement was made during the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum 2025, where Dubai Municipality's Acting Director General, Eng Marwan Bin Ghalita discussed how the heavy rainfall in April 2024 had highlighted the need for smarter, long-term infrastructure solutions. He described the recent weather challenges as a catalyst for positive change, emphasising the collaborative spirit that emerged during the crisis response.

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"The recent rain incident may be a blessing from which we have learned a lot," Bin Ghalita Said. "The first benefit for me is the collaboration of all parties as one team, and the message that no entity is to blame for anything; we are one team that must solve this crisis."

While acknowledging that the extraordinary volume of rainfall could overwhelm any drainage network globally, he highlighted how the event expedited the launch of long-planned infrastructure projects that will define Dubai's resilience for generations to come.

The premier annual gathering, held at Dubai World Trade Centre under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, brings together 1,000 key government and private sector leaders to discuss Dubai's transformation into the world's best city.

The deep tunnels and drainage project represents one of Dubai's most ambitious infrastructure undertakings, designed with a 100-year operational lifespan to ensure the emirate's continued growth and development.

"Today, the deep tunnels and drainage project has been approved, and implementation has begun for the next 100 years," Bin Ghalita announced. "This drainage project, under the directives of the leaders, has begun design and partnership with the private sector because a project like this must be implemented with the private sector; it cannot be done without them."

The project exemplifies Dubai's strategic approach to public-private partnerships, leveraging the emirate's global appeal to attract world-class expertise and investment.

"The beautiful thing about this is our partnership with the private sector," he explained. "Today, Dubai as a brand is something everyone wants to work with; every global company wants to collaborate with you, and the project has started implementation."

Beyond physical infrastructure, Dubai Municipality is deploying cutting-edge Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to enhance the city's preparedness for future weather events.

The GIS team has conducted comprehensive simulations to identify Dubai's most vulnerable areas, enabling targeted and rapid-response measures.

The municipality is also prioritising data integration as a cornerstone of its crisis management strategy, recognising that effective emergency response requires seamless information flow across all government entities.

"The most important benefit we need to build on is the integration of systems in databases because when a crisis happens, you need data from everywhere," Bin Ghalita emphasised. "The disaster management and control centre needs data. Today, we are working on establishing the infrastructure, as we mentioned, for drainage and tunnels, as well as a robust database that provides clear data, enabling you to make quick decisions."

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