Dubai Metro to become a canvas for street art

Two top street artists will paint murals between the Financial Centre and Emirates Towers stations.

In recent years, Dubai has become a hotbed of fantastic street art, with wow-worthy walls from JBR to Satwa. And now Dubai Metro is next in line to get a splash of colour.

The Dubai Metro Murals Project will see two top international street artists transform some of the pillars of the Dubai Metro into masterpieces. The pillars that will be painted are on Sheikh Zayed Road, between Financial Centre and Emirates Towers stations.

Here’s an idea of what they will look like:

According to Brand Dubai, which is behind the project, the themes of the murals have been chosen to “inspire creativity and spread happiness while also reflecting Dubai’s character, vision and future aspirations”.

Peruvian muralist Daniel Cortez, also known as Decertor, is one of the artists who has been chosen for the project. His colourful human portraits can be found on walls in Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina and Morocco.

Dominican-born, Miami-based artist Elio Mercado, known as Evoca1, will also contribute to the project. You might have already seen his work at Al Raha Beach in Abu Dhabi:

And here’s a recent mural he painted in France:

The Dubai Metro Murals Project is part of a beautification initiative that aims to transform Dubai into an “open-air museum”. Other beautification projects that will take place over the next three years will cover bridges, tunnels, walking tracks, bus stops and other public facilities and areas.

Brand Dubai said artists from the UAE, the Middle East and around the world would be invited to create public artworks in the city.

— For the best of Dubai straight to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.