Dubai is Set to Build a New Multi-Million-Dollar Road Parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road

Dubai has announced a major new road corridor for the emirate which will run parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road. The First Al Khail Street Development Plan will cover approximately 30 kilometres of road infrastructure, including elevated viaducts, bridge ramps and associated works.

Approved by Dubai's Executive Council on 1 July 2026, under the chairmanship of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, the project forms part of a wider AED 18 billion ($4.9 billion) package of government initiatives. The RTA has started the contractor procurement process, with construction planned to begin in the third quarter of 2027 and completion scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2030.

Key Takeaways

• Dubai's First Al Khail Street Development Plan covers approximately 30 kilometres of road infrastructure.
• The project includes around 15 kilometres of elevated viaduct and more than 14.5 kilometres of bridge ramps.
• The RTA expects the completed corridor to accommodate approximately 9,000 vehicles per hour.
• The project is expected to serve about 2.6 million people.
• Connections will provide access to Al Barsha, Al Quoz, Business Bay and Meydan.
• Construction is scheduled to begin in Q3 2027 and finish in Q4 2030.
• The road forms one part of a wider AED 18 billion package that also includes a new cultural strategy, an AI-powered population census and a unified investor register.

What is the Dubai New Road Project 2026?

The Dubai new road project 2026 refers to the First Al Khail Street Development Plan. It will create an additional north-south road corridor running parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road, with the main section running between Hadiqa Street and Hessa Street.

The project includes an elevated highway with three lanes in each direction, supported by viaducts and bridge ramps. The completed corridor is expected to add capacity for approximately 9,000 vehicles per hour.

The planned route will provide connections to Al Barsha, Al Quoz, Business Bay and Meydan. These districts include major residential, commercial and employment areas within the emirate. The Dubai road development 2026 is intended to increase road capacity alongside Sheikh Zayed Road without relying solely on additional lanes within the existing arterial corridor.

The timing also lines up with Dubai's continued population growth. The emirate's population reached 4.58 million by the end of 2025, up 332,000, or 7.5%, from the year before, adding further pressure on the city's busiest road corridors.

First Al Khail Street Development Plan: Key Details

Here’s a detailed look at Dubai’s new road project:

When Will Construction Start?

Dubai plans to begin construction during the third quarter of 2027, with completion scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2030. The RTA issued an expression of interest to contractors in early September 2026, with submissions due by 10 October 2026.

Contractors entering the procurement process will compete for a technically complex package dominated by elevated road structures, using construction methods designed to minimise disruption to existing traffic while the elevated sections are delivered.

How Will the New Road Affect Sheikh Zayed Road?

One of the main objectives of the new road parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road is to add capacity alongside the existing arterial corridor.

The First Al Khail Street Development Plan will provide another route for traffic travelling between key districts. Dubai expects the additional capacity to reduce peak travel times on Sheikh Zayed Road by 51%.

The project is also expected to serve approximately 2.6 million people. Planned construction methods are intended to limit interference with existing traffic while contractors deliver the elevated sections.

How Does the Project Fit into Dubai’s Wider Road Plans?

The First Al Khail Street Development Plan forms part of Dubai's wider programme of road improvements during 2026, and sits within the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and the Dubai 20-Minute City Policy, both aimed at bringing daily destinations closer to residents across the emirate.

Several adjoining strategic corridors have also advanced during the year, including the Hessa Street Development Project and the Al Meydan Street project.

Hessa Street Development Project

The Hessa Street Development Project opened in April 2026 following upgrades between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road.

The project covered 4.5 kilometres and doubled capacity from 8,000 to 16,000 vehicles per hour in both directions. Journey times fell from 15 minutes to four minutes.

First Al Khail Street formed one of the intersections upgraded through the Hessa Street works. The RTA expanded Hessa Street to four lanes in each direction and increased bridge capacity at its junction with First Al Khail Street.

Al Meydan Street and the Latifa bint Hamdan Street Project

In July 2026, the RTA awarded two contracts worth Dh1.161 billion to develop Al Meydan Street, a project designed to improve traffic flow and connectivity across several key areas of the emirate. Within this wider scheme sits the 12-kilometre Latifa bint Hamdan Street project, due for completion by the end of 2028, which will link Sheikh Zayed Road with Al Khail Road, Al Meydan Street, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road.

The Al Meydan Street project as a whole covers 17 kilometres of roads and 3.7 kilometres of bridges, and is expected to increase north-south traffic capacity by 18%, alongside cycling tracks connecting to Dubai's existing cycling network.

Dubai has also floated The LOOP, a proposed 93-kilometre controlled-climate cycling highway designed to encourage walking and cycling across the emirate, as part of the same broader push toward a more connected, 20-minute city.

Dubai AED 18 Billion Road Project: What Does the Wider Package Include?

The First Al Khail Street Development Plan forms part of a wider AED 18 billion ($4.9 billion) package of strategies and projects approved by Dubai's Executive Council on 1 July 2026, under the chairmanship of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Alongside the road project, the package includes:

• Dubai Cultural Strategy 2033, supervised by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, built around four pillars, 40 initiatives, five sectoral indicators and 23 key performance indicators, aimed at positioning Dubai as a global leader in cultural innovation
• Dubai Population Now, an AI-powered real-time population census providing a live population clock to support urban planning
• A unified Dubai Investor Register, allowing companies to operate across multiple zones without re-registering
• A new Global Centre for Technology and Innovation in Islamic Finance
• Dubai Customs Strategy 2030
• The Emirati Talents Strategy in Private Education