Dubai Metro was closed for more than four hours on Wednesday after a technical glitch was reported during the morning commute.
The Roads and Transport Authority first tweeted about disruptions at Sharaf DG station, which runs along the Red Line.
By early afternoon, work was still being carried out to fix the problem. The authoritysent out a second tweet and alerted commuters that four other stations, including Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Internet City, had to close their doors to passengers for "30 minutes".
During the temporary halt on services, buses were on hand to shuttle passengers between the affected stations. The issue was eventually resolved and all metro stations were "operating normally" by 1.35pm.
Please be informed that the technical malfunction has been resolved and the affected metro stations are operating normally. We thank all metro users for their cooperation.
— RTA (@rta_dubai) October 9, 2019
As a result of the delays, crowds gathered at bus stops in an attempt to board the temporary shuttle services and others hailed down nearby taxis.
Many residents also took to Twitter to raise their frustrations over the disruptions.
One user wrote: "Dubai Metro is not working due to technical issues ...one hour late plus a taxi fee." While another said: "What’s happening at Sharaf DG metro station? The one day I take a train and they won’t let me in."
The service was initially suspended at about 8.45am.
Please be informed that the Dubai Metro service at Sharaf DG metro station is temporarily affected due to a technical error and work is underway to restore the service at the earliest. All other metro stations are operating normally.
— RTA (@rta_dubai) October 9, 2019
The RTA alerted passengers of the delay in a tweet and advised commuters that work was underway to fix the issue.
By 12.15pm, it announced a "temporary disruption" at two additional stations including Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Internet City.
Please be informed that there is a 30-minute temporary halt on the Dubai Metro service in 3 stations: Sharaf DG, Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Internet City due to a technical malfunction that the team is working on fixing. Bus service is available between the affected stations.
— RTA (@rta_dubai) October 9, 2019
And by 12.35pm it sent out a tweet saying service was delayed at five stations in all, including Noor Bank and First Abu Dhabi Bank stations.
Update: Please be informed that there is a 30-minute temporary disruption of the Dubai Metro service in 5 stations: Noor Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Mall of the Emirates, Sharaf DG, and Dubai Internet City,
— RTA (@rta_dubai) October 9, 2019
