Watch: Dubai RTA to open final bridge of World Trade Centre Roundabout on Friday

Dubai: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will open the final bridge of the World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project this Friday, October 30, 2026, marking the completion of the major project at a cost exceeding Dh696 million.

The 1,000-metre (1km), two-lane bridge will accommodate approximately 3,000 vehicles per hour, serving traffic from Al Majlis Street towards 2nd December Street.

For drivers, the change should be felt straight away. The journey from Al Majlis Street to 2nd December Street will drop from six minutes to one minute, while the average delay at the intersection will fall from 12 minutes to 90 seconds.

With the opening of the new bridge, RTA will have completed all major works under the project, which include five bridges with a combined length of 5km.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said: “The completion of the World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project is in line with the directives of the wise leadership to continue upgrading Dubai’s road infrastructure, improve traffic flow on Sheikh Zayed Road and enhance connectivity between the emirate’s leading economic and commercial centres.”

He added: “The project will also increase road network capacity to keep pace with Dubai’s rapid population, urban and economic growth, reinforce its global leadership in business, investment and tourism, and provide an integrated, sustainable mobility system that reinforces the emirate’s competitiveness, facilitates travel for residents and visitors, and enhances quality of life.”

Al Tayer explained that the World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project complements Al Mustaqbal Street Development Project, where work is progressing rapidly. Both projects form part of a comprehensive approach to upgrading the area’s key road corridors, strengthening connectivity between business centres and areas of economic activity, and improving the road network’s efficiency and capacity to accommodate future traffic growth.

Scheduled for completion in 2027, Al Mustaqbal Street Development Project includes bridges and tunnels spanning a total of 1.5km and expansion of the street to four lanes in each direction. These improvements will increase its capacity by 33% and reduce journey time from 13 minutes to six minutes, reinforcing the benefits of the World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project and improving traffic flow along one of Dubai’s key corridors.

Five bridges

World Trade Centre Roundabout is one of Dubai’s major intersections, connecting Sheikh Zayed Road with five key streets: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street, Sheikh Rashid Street, 2nd December Street, Za’abeel Palace Street and Al Majlis Street.

The project involved converting the former roundabout into an at-grade intersection and constructing five bridges with a combined length of 5km. The bridges provide free-flowing traffic in all directions, enhance connectivity between major road corridors, increase the intersection’s capacity and facilitate travel between surrounding commercial and residential areas.

The works included a 1km, two-lane bridge at the second level, connecting Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street towards Deira, with a capacity of 3,000 vehicles per hour.

Two further bridges link Sheikh Rashid Street with 2nd December Street, providing two lanes in each direction, with a combined length of 2km and a capacity of up to 6,000 vehicles per hour.

Another two bridges connect Al Majlis Street with 2nd December Street, also providing two lanes in each direction, with a combined length of 2km and a capacity of approximately 6,000 vehicles per hour.

Project's benefits

The World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project will provide free-flowing traffic from 2nd December Street in Jumeirah and Al Satwa towards Al Majlis Street, which leads to Al Mustaqbal Street, Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai International Financial Centre. It will also improve traffic flow towards Sheikh Rashid Street and Deira.

The project will further improve traffic flow from Sheikh Zayed Road towards 2nd December Street and from Al Mustaqbal Street towards Sheikh Zayed Road southbound. It will also provide free-flowing traffic from Sheikh Zayed Road towards Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street, improving traffic distribution across the surrounding road network and enhancing the intersection’s capacity to accommodate traffic volumes.

Key areas

The project serves some of Dubai’s most important economic, commercial, residential and development areas. These include Dubai World Trade Centre, a leading destination for major international exhibitions, conferences and events for more than four decades. It attracts large numbers of visitors and participants each year to major international trade events, including GITEX, Arabian Travel Market and Gulfood, alongside other specialised exhibitions and conferences.

The project also serves Dubai International Financial Centre, a leading financial hub for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, home to numerous international financial institutions and companies. Other areas benefiting from the improvements include Zaa’beel, Al Satwa, Al Karama, Al Jafiliya and Al Mankhool, as well as surrounding residential, commercial and development areas. The project is estimated to serve more than 500,000 residents and visitors.

The improvements are particularly important given the intersection’s location on Sheikh Zayed Road, its heavy daily traffic volumes and its direct links to key economic, commercial and tourism destinations. The project will improve access to these destinations, enhance connectivity between surrounding areas and facilitate daily travel for residents, employees and visitors.

Al Mustaqbal Street

The World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project forms part of an integrated road development programme that also includes improvements to Al Mustaqbal Street, which extends from its intersection with Za’abeel Palace Street to Financial Centre Street. Work is progressing rapidly, with completion scheduled for 2027. The improvements will enhance connectivity between key road corridors and enhance the efficiency of the surrounding road network.

Al Mustaqbal Street Development Project includes bridges and tunnels spanning a total of 1,500 metres and expanding the street from three to four lanes in each direction. These improvements will increase capacity by 33%, from 9,000 to 12,000 vehicles per hour, and reduce journey time from eight minutes to three minutes and 30 seconds.

Three tunnels and a bridge

The project includes three tunnels with a combined length of 1,100 metres (1.1km) at the intersection of Al Mustaqbal Street and Trade Centre Street, along with a 400-metre, two-lane bridge serving traffic from Dubai World Trade Centre towards the intersection of Zaa’beel Palace Street and Al Mustaqbal Street.

The works also include widening a 3,500-metre section of Al Mustaqbal Street between Financial Centre Street and Za’abeel Palace Street from three to four lanes in each direction. Other improvements include free-flowing connections at the intersections with Exhibition Street and Trade Centre Street, a pedestrian bridge on Al Sukook Street, and enhancements to existing intersections along the corridor.

Together, the World Trade Centre Roundabout and Al Mustaqbal Street development projects will enhance connectivity between Sheikh Zayed Road and surrounding key roads, improve access to business centres and key economic and commercial destinations, and increase road network capacity. These improvements will accommodate the area’s urban and economic growth while supporting Dubai’s objectives for advanced infrastructure and a flexible, sustainable mobility system.