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Hamdan bin Mohammed opens Dubai-Al Ain Road Improvement Project

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DUBAI, 29th May, 2022 (WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince o

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4 years ago

May 29, 2022

Abhishek Sengupta

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WAM

DUBAI, May 29: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, has officially opened the Dubai-Al Ain Road Improvement Project built at a cost of AED2 billion.

Undertaken as part of Dubai’s master transport plan, the project affirms Dubai’s efforts to accelerate its economic development with major projects.

Speaking on the occasion of the opening, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed said: “Dubai continues to advance the implementation of infrastructure development plans aimed at enhancing human welfare and catalysing sustainable economic growth. It is also part of our broader strategy to transform Dubai into the world’s best place to live, work and visit as well as strengthen our readiness to meet future needs in one of the fastest growing cities worldwide.”

Sheikh Hamdan further said that the government has always placed the highest priority on constantly improving Dubai’s road infrastructure, since it plays an important role in raising the emirate’s competitiveness in addition to creating an attractive business and investment environment and providing a high quality of life for the community.

The scope of the Dubai-Al Ain Road Improvement Project spans 17 km from the intersection of Emirates Road to the intersection of Ras Al Khor Road along the Dubai-Al Ain Road. Construction works included widening the road from three to six lanes in each direction, and constructing six main interchanges along with bridges and ramps stretching 11.5 km.

Upon arrival at the project site, Sheikh Hamdan was received by Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Benefits to the community

The project will ease traffic flow and improve links with the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Road, and Emirates Road, besides serving the current and future communities such as Dubailand Residence Complex, Liwan and Silicon Oasis on either side of the Dubai-Al Ain Road.

This stretch of Dubai Al-Ain road connects the Mohamed bin Zayed and Emirates roads. Courtesy WAM

It will benefit a population of 1.5 million living or working in the neighbourhood on both sides of the road. It also serves 25 universities and colleges where a total of 27,500 students are enrolled. The improvements will double the intake of the road from 12,000 to 24,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.

It will also slash the travel time on the Dubai-Al Ain Road from the intersection of Ras Al Khor Road to the intersection of the Emirates Road by 50% from 16 minutes to eight minutes during peak time. Furthermore, it will solve traffic snarls that used to extend about two kilometres.

Connectivity

Sheikh Hamdan was also briefed on two projects under construction. The first is the Al Manama Street Improvement Project where the existing roundabouts will be transformed into signalised junctions. Construction for the project is expected to be completed in September.

The other is the improvement of the junction of the Academic City on Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street Project, which is scheduled for completion in December this year. In future, the sector of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street from the Academic City to the junction of Al Awir Road will be further improved.

Ramping it up

Outlining the project’s highlights, Al Tayer said, “The improvement of the Dubai-Al Ain Project included the construction of four two-lane ramps at the junction of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road extending 2,600 metres to ensure free and smooth traffic movement in all directions at the junction.

Dubai-AlAin1

The previous bridge on Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road had been improved to allow for the widening of the Dubai-Al Ain Road from three to six lanes in each direction in addition to the construction of service roads on both sides of the road. The total capacity of bridges at the junction will jump to 36,000 vehicles per hour in all directions, which will ensure smooth traffic flow on the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road from Al Qusais in the direction of Al Ain.”

Works included widening the road from three to six lanes in each direction and constructing service roads on both sides to enhance traffic safety levels. Overall, the project covered the improvement of six key junctions with the Emirates Road, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Nad Al Sheba Road, Al Meydan Road and Ras Al Khor Road.

These junctions facilitate smooth traffic flow and serve the residential communities on both sides of the road such as the Academic City, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubailand Residential Complex, Liwan, and the Dubai Design District. The bridges at the six junctions stretch 6,600 metres in length and their ramps span 4,900 metres in total.

Six junctions

The improvement of Dubai-Al Ain Road junctions included the construction of a ramp at the intersection with the Emirates Road and a 220-metre bridge to link Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street with it.

The works will ease congestion seen in recent times from inbound traffic from the Dubailand Residential Complex as well as ease commute for those heading into Academic City and Silicon Oasis from nearby areas. Service roads have been constructed on both sides of the road along with turns to serve other traffic movements and development projects.

Other project works included the improvement of the Nad Al Sheba intersection to serve traffic from the Dubai-Al Ain Road to Nad Al Sheba and vice versa along with improvements of the inward and outwards surface roads of the Nad Al Sheba district.

Improvements covered the junction of Al Meydan Road with the Dubai-Al Ain Road, which has been linked with Al Manama Street by a four-lane bridge in each direction to link Al Meydan Road with Al Manama Road. Moreover, the previous bridge connecting Al Meydan Road and the Dubai-Al Ain Road has been improved to serve the residential projects of Meydan.

This stretch of Dubai Al-Ain road connects the Mohamed bin Zayed and Emirates roads. Courtesy WAM

Abhishek Sengupta

Chief Storyteller – Abhishek Sengupta Storytelling has been at the heart of everything I’ve done for nearly two decades, whether it’s captivating audiences with breaking news, crafting compelling video narratives, or writing columns with just the right amount of sarcasm and spice. I’ve been an award-winning investigative journalist, content creator, media strategist, and accidental commentator on everything from falafels to foldable laptops. My career has taken me across 60 countries, four World Cups between two sports, and one unforgettable ‘journalistic’ saga. Along the way, I’ve produced over 1,000 minutes of multimedia content, interviewed corporate top bosses, grilled ministers, while helping UAE’s longest-running English daily Khaleej Times ride the digital wave. All along, I’ve only tried (and occasionally succeeded) in making audiences laugh, think, and occasionally say, “Wait, that was actually interesting” —proving that even in today’s world, storytelling isn’t just alive; it’s thriving, quirky, and kicking up a storm.

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Dubai’s new AI design competition offers Dh200,000 in cash prizes

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12 mins ago

June 29, 2026

Michael Gomes

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Think you can design the park of the future? Dubai Municipality is inviting architects, designers, students and AI enthusiasts to do exactly that, with the help of artificial intelligence.

Under the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, Dubai Municipality has launched what it says is the world’s first AI-powered park design challenge, allowing participants to reimagine Al Safa 2 Park using AI-driven tools. The competition also offers a total prize pool of Dh200,000.

Designing future of public parks

The initiative aims to explore how artificial intelligence can support every stage of park design, from analysing the site and understanding user needs to generating concepts, testing ideas and creating visualisations.

While AI will play a central role in the creative process, Dubai Municipality stressed that final design decisions will remain human-led.

Participants are expected to submit a master plan for Al Safa 2 Park, along with supporting data analysis, design concepts and visualisations that demonstrate how AI was used throughout the project.

Open to professionals, students and startups

The competition is open to a wide range of participants, including architects, urban planners, landscape designers, researchers, university students, startups and AI specialists.

Entries should showcase how artificial intelligence was integrated into different stages of the design process, including environmental analysis, spatial planning, user experience and performance optimisation.

Focus on sustainability and community

Designs will be assessed on more than just creativity.

Dubai Municipality is looking for practical proposals that improve sustainability, accessibility, wellbeing, inclusivity and social interaction while creating vibrant public spaces that enhance residents’ quality of life.

A panel of government officials and international experts will evaluate the submissions, with members of the public also getting the opportunity to help choose the winning designs.

Dh200,000 prize pool

The competition offers cash prizes for the top three entries:

First prize: Dh100,000
Second prize: Dh65,000
Third prize: Dh35,000

Applications are open until August 15, through Dubai Municipality’s official competition platform (https://aipark.dm.gov.ae/ai-competition).

The initiative reflects Dubai’s wider ambition to position itself as a global leader in AI, innovation and smart urban development by combining emerging technologies with human creativity to shape the cities of the future.

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UAE motorists advised of two-month traffic diversion in Sharjah

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59 mins ago

June 29, 2026

Michael Gomes

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Motorists travelling through Sharjah’s industrial district should prepare for temporary road closures over the next two months.

The Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) has announced a traffic diversion between Industrial Area 12 and Industrial Area 13 as part of road maintenance and infrastructure upgrade works to improve traffic flow and enhance the emirate’s road network.

The diversion will be in place from Tuesday, June 30, until Sunday, August 30, with drivers required to use the approved alternative routes during construction.

SRTA said the project is designed to improve the efficiency of the road network and ease traffic movement in the area once the works are completed.

The authority has urged motorists to follow the designated diversion routes, obey traffic signs and adhere to road safety instructions to help ensure smooth traffic flow and minimise delays.

Drivers travelling through the area are advised to plan their journeys and allow extra travel time, particularly during peak hours.

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Google is updating its terms on July 30: Here’s what users in the UAE need to now

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1 hour ago

June 29, 2026

Michael Gomes

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UAE residents who use Google services, including Gmail, Google Photos, Google Drive, Maps, Android and Gemini, will be subject to updated Google Terms of Service from July 30.

The changes won’t dramatically alter how Google’s products work, but they do provide more clarity on how the company uses AI, processes user content and handles account suspensions.

New AI rules

As artificial intelligence becomes more deeply integrated into Google’s products, the company is introducing stricter rules to prevent misuse.

The updated terms prohibit activities such as bypassing AI safety measures, manipulating prompts to produce harmful content or using Google’s AI-generated content to train other AI models. Existing bans on phishing, hacking, malware, fake accounts and deceptive content also remain in place.

You still own content

Google says users retain ownership of everything they upload, including emails, photos, files and videos.

However, users continue to grant Google permission to process that content so its services can function properly, for example, syncing files across devices, enabling sharing, translating content where needed and improving products.

How Google uses your data

The company says it analyses content using automated systems to detect spam, malware and illegal content, while also using it to personalise search results, recommendations and ads.

Publicly shared content, such as Google reviews or apps listed on Google Play, may also be used to promote Google’s services.

When can Google suspend your account?

Your accounts may be suspended if users repeatedly violate its policies or engage in activities such as phishing, hacking, spamming or other actions that pose security or legal risks.

Users who believe their accounts were disabled in error can appeal the decision.

Google says it will generally notify users before making significant changes to its services and, where possible, allow them to export their data through Google Takeout before discontinuing a product or making major changes.

The updated Terms of Service take effect on July 30, 2026.