Dubai: Commuters in Dubai will be able to ride in Elon Musk's underground transit system as soon as next year, according to an Emirati official.

Musk announced plans for a Dubai Loop in February, in partnership with the United Arab Emirates government, as the latest project for his tunneling venture the Boring Co. The company said the initial phase would cover 17 kilometers (10.6 miles) of tunnels and carry 20,000 passengers an hour.

“The first loop is going to be operational, we're hoping, by the second quarter of 2026,” Omar Al Olama, the UAE Minister for Artificial Intelligence, said in an interview.

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The infrastructure project is part of Dubai's efforts to reduce congestion from its growing population, often with futuristic solutions - the city has also unveiled pilots of air taxi services from California's Joby Aviation Inc. and Chinese competitors. The UAE has pitched itself as a welcome host to novel technologies, like flying cars and AI chatbots, with light-touch regulation and audacious expansion plans.

If the Dubai Loop materializes, it would be a rare success for Musk's tunneling firm. The only public, functioning Loop built by the Boring Company is in Las Vegas where Tesla Inc. vehicles driven by human drivers shuttle passengers between stations.

It isn't clear whether the Dubai Loop will rely on Tesla cars, but the Boring Company and Musk have floated various modes of transport such as vacuum pods and driverless vehicles. The company's lead architect recently left the company, Bloomberg reported in September.

The Dubai project is one of several forays Musk's companies have made in the Gulf region, including the expansion of his Starlink terminals. Musk has also pitched Boring Company tunnels and robotaxis in Saudi Arabia.

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