Elon Musk’s The Boring Company is taking its tunneling ambitions international. The company’s first project outside the United States is set to open in Dubai by 2026, marking a major milestone for Musk’s underground transit venture — reports GuruFocus.
According to the UAE’s Minister for Artificial Intelligence, Omar Al Olama, the first phase of the “Dubai Loop” — a 17-kilometer (10.5-mile) underground transport system — is expected to begin operations by the second quarter of 2026. The system is designed to move up to 20,000 passengers per hour, representing one of the most ambitious urban mobility experiments in the world.
The Dubai Loop is part of the city’s broader push to reinvent transportation, blending Musk’s tunneling vision with Dubai’s appetite for futuristic infrastructure. The Emirate is already developing air taxi routes, autonomous driving corridors, and AI-managed traffic systems. For Musk, the project could become a crucial proving ground for The Boring Company’s long-term viability.
So far, the company’s only operational system is the Vegas Loop, which transports passengers in Tesla vehicles through short tunnels beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center. That network is currently expanding across the city, with dozens of new stations planned. In July, The Boring Company also revealed plans for a new tunnel project in Nashville, Tennessee, called the “Music City Loop.” It will be funded entirely through private investment, with zero taxpayer dollars involved.
To help coordinate these growing operations, The Boring Company recently opened a Global Operations Control Center in Bastrop, Texas. The facility can remotely monitor and manage active and upcoming tunneling projects across the U.S. — and soon, perhaps, internationally.
While it’s not yet clear whether the Dubai Loop will rely on Tesla vehicles or purpose-built autonomous pods, the project could give Musk’s tunneling startup a much-needed credibility boost after years of uneven progress. The UAE’s strong commitment to advanced infrastructure, coupled with its fast-growing AI sector, makes it an ideal testing ground for what could become the world’s most futuristic transit system.
If all goes according to plan, the Dubai Loop could open a new chapter for The Boring Company — transforming it from an experimental Las Vegas curiosity into a global player in next-generation urban transport.
