Dubai opened the Arabian Peninsula’s first metro system on Wednesday, hoping to capture the world’s spotlight on the catchy date of 9/9/09 — whether the sleek system is fully ready to go or not.
The rapid transit line has been slotted together at breakneck speed, much like the often traffic-clogged city it aims to serve. In true Dubai style, it even promises a VIP section for higher-paying customers who don’t want to mix with the rest of the public.
Officials are eager to portray the US$7.6 billion project as a rare piece of good news amid the negative press that’s swamped the sheikdom, which has seen its once-buzzing economy hit hard by the global downturn.
In the inaugural run — which began at 9:09 pm on Wednesday — Dubai’s ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, stepped onto the train as its first passenger followed by VIPs and officials. The train whizzed through six stations, stopping at each for celebrations, including recitations of poetry.
For many of Dubai’s foreign guest workers, the rail project could mean far quicker commutes in a sprawling city-state where shared taxis, packed vans and creaky wooden boats are among the most visible forms of public transportation.
Wednesday’s opening, however, had the feel of being rushed. Invitations to the unveiling ceremony were only sent out Monday. The inaugural run went through several unfinished stations that looked like dark construction sites.
Only 10 of the inaugural red line’s 29 stations were ready for opening day.
A new online voting system aimed at boosting turnout among the Philippines’ millions of overseas workers ahead of Monday’s mid-term elections has been marked by confusion and fears of disenfranchisement. Thousands of overseas Filipino workers have already cast their ballots in the race dominated by a bitter feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his impeached vice president, Sara Duterte. While official turnout figures are not yet publicly available, data from the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) showed that at least 134,000 of the 1.22 million registered overseas voters have signed up for the new online system, which opened on April 13. However,
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