New UAE highway: All You Need to Know About the Plan to Cut Traffic

Web Desk

06 November, 2025 17:58

New UAE highway: All You Need to Know About the Plan to Cut Traffic

The UAE government has announced a massive Dh170 billion plan to improve the country’s transport and road network by 2030. The goal is to reduce traffic congestion, make travel easier, and support the country’s growing population and economy.

Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei revealed the plan during the UAE Government Annual Meetings in Abu Dhabi. He said the projects will focus on expanding major roads, improving public transport, and introducing high-speed and light rail systems.

UAE Key Projects in the Plan

Etihad Road – Six new lanes (three in each direction) will be added, boosting capacity by 60%.
Emirates Road – The road will be widened to 10 lanes, cutting travel time by up to 45%.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road – It will be expanded to 10 lanes, increasing capacity by 45%.
New Federal Highway – A 120 km highway with 12 lanes will be built to handle around 360,000 trips per day.
Road Efficiency – The ministry plans to improve federal road performance by 73% in the next five years.

Al Mazrouei said these upgrades will help create a smart, flexible, and sustainable transport system that improves life for everyone in the UAE, in line with the country’s Centennial 2071 vision.

Tackling Traffic Problems

The minister said a Dh750 million upgrade to Emirates Road is already underway and should be finished in two years. He explained that traffic congestion is a serious national issue due to a rising number of vehicles — growing by over 8% annually, compared to a global average of 2%.

Al Mazrouei said that the main reasons for traffic jams include people’s heavy use of private cars, overlapping work and school hours, and population growth. The ministry plans to work with local governments to encourage public transport use, improve road policies, and develop smarter transport systems to reduce congestion nationwide.