If you’re one of the poor unfortunate souls in Dubai who doesn’t drive a Land Rover and rely instead on public transportation to get around, you’re in luck – you won’t have to stick to the sidewalk in the midday heat after all — Dubai has a series of air-conditioned bus stops to help you keep your cool.
A world first, the RTA (Road Transit Authority) of Dubai started plans for the air-conditioned bus stops in 2006 and the first ones rolled out in 2007. According to the RTA’s website, there are 2700 bus stops in Dubai, 636 of which are air-conditioned. Not one to be outdone, Abu Dhabi, unveiled their own string of air-conditioned bus stops in 2009. Which of course left Dubai thinking, “How can we top that?”
Well they’re trying. Dubai has plans to unleash free Wi-Fi in the shelters later this year. It won’t be for freeloaders though – the plan is to link internet accessibility to holders of the prepaid transit card (called NOL), so only paying customers get the advantage of Wi-Fi.
What’ll they think of next? Air-conditioned beaches?
Ummm, actually…yes.
The much-ballyhooed (and oft-delayed) Palazzo Versace scheduled to open later this year will be the first hotel in the world with an air-conditioned beach. A series of coolant-filled pipes snaking below the sand will keep it’s heat-averse guests pleasantly refrigerated. A contingent of giant A/C machines blowing on command will compliment the nouveau flooring.
That’s a heckuva lot more grand than mere air-conditioned bus stops, and in keeping with Dubai’s one-upmanship of itself, a whole lot more crazy too.
Oman 
Nice. But yep, still not going to the Middle East. I hear they kick pregnant women in IKEAs there.
So what is the lesson here? Stay away from IKEA!
I remember these bus stops well! Seems like a waste of power, but so refreshing to find one.
We actually were waiting in a bus stop for an hour during Ramadan, until a nice man stopped and told us there were no buses running. He gave us a lift in exchange for us helping him with his English. Nice man.
It does seem like a waste of power, but when it’s 45 Celsius outside and you stumble upon one, it’s like manna from the gods.
I wish we had them here – 60-90 days of triple digit heat and 95% of our stops don’t even offer shade. This is amazing!
Wow, that’s pretty impressive. I could have used a heated bus stop last winter in Montreal …
Great. It is so hot in Dubai. These are actually necessary. We spent most of our time in malls.
That is so cool (sorry, couldn’t help myself). Really, I’d love to visit Dubai. I hadn’t heard to the AC at bus stops before or the planned wi-fi. Great ideas. I also want to go skiing.
Wow, and they even look stylish
Dubai’s so baller!
The Emirates are planning for the future, a future without oil, they are building the best hotels, theme parks, exclusive islands, and adding all these little comforters. But they have to because there is nothing of interest or outstanding beauty otherwise.
Air conditioned beaches! Not so surprised that This idea is being pioneered in Dubai.
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When I saw these bus stops in Dubai I thought about the ones we have in Italy and I almost cried
I know — the ones in Calgary aren’t so nice either. But they would need heaters, not A/C.
Definitely needed!
I couldn’t believe it when I saw these in Dubai! The city is filled with things that are unimaginable, but there they are. Crazy.
I was a bit taken aback as well. Great for workers, but probably not so great for the environment.
Exactly. Thinking about environmental issues while in Dubai is disheartening, to say the least…
While I cannot say I wouldn’t take advantage of an air conditioned wi-fi charged bus stop, I do think this is a bit over the top! Money could most certainly be funneled somewhere more useful.
That’s pretty awesome. I bet that they’ll stay clean of graffiti too. Here in the U.S. they’d last maybe one day before being vandalized.
Only in Dubai! I went inside one of these things as well. Maybe we should road test them at the height of summer!
It’s a shame that things like an air conditioned beach is actually legal. Just the amount of resources that you are wasting is incredible. If a place is too hot for your taste go somewhere cooler, don’t make everything AC’ed!!!