Dubai has opened its second metro rail network (the Green line), which runs 23 km through heavily populated areas such as Deira and Bur Dubai, after a two-year delay.

UAE Prime Minister, Vice President and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Friday inaugurated the new line aimed at easing traffic congestion in the city of two million people, the state TV reported.

Sixteen of the 18 stations on the Green line have become operational, the TV report said.

The network aims to carry an average of about 100,000 passengers daily by the end of the year, the report stated.

The launch was initially planned for August 2010 but was delayed due to financial difficulties that hit the emirate during the crisis, it added.