Dubai's Fourth Corridor: Residents Eye Shorter Commutes, Less Traffic

2026-09-24 10:01:20

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) For years, people living in Dubai's newer, farther-out communities have struggled with long drives to get around the city. School runs, commutes to the office and even quick trips downtown eat into their day.

Now, several Dubai residents are saying the Fourth Corridor could finally change that. Damien Dexter Goveas, a 17-year-old student who has lived in Damac Hills 2 for almost five years, explained his struggle. "The connectivity to the rest of UAE and downtown Dubai is quite a hassle," he said. "Going anywhere in the city takes a minimum of 45 minutes from my house." He believes the Fourth Corridor will change that. "It will help get to and from the city and school a lot easier and definitely a lot more quicker."

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It was last week when Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, approved the implementation of the 80-kilometre-long project in the emirate. It will be the fourth major road connecting the emirates, alongside Sheikh Zayed Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road.

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Muhammad, a Dubai resident who bought an off-plan property in The Valley, admits he had doubts at first. "My initial apprehension was that the project was too far out from central Dubai," he said.

Two things gave him confidence: the existing Dubai–Al Ain Road and the Dubai 2040 plan. Now, with the Fourth Corridor confirmed, he feels his investment is paying off.

"An additional lane would be added to the section between Emirates Rd and Lehbab Rd, which would make the commute even smoother," he said. The corridor will also open up quick access to Al Maktoum Airport, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern emirates. "Essentially, we will not need to connect to any of the existing highways to travel to the other emirates," he pointed out

Asked whether he expects his property's value to rise, Muhammad doesn't hesitate. "Yes, absolutely,” he said.“This will be a huge boost to all the upcoming projects in that area. Connectivity will actually become a selling point rather than a concern to be addressed."

The road will help his family, too. His daughter, currently doing her A levels, is looking at universities in Academic City, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. "One of our concerns was the commute time and connectivity," he said. "This new project should help in quicker commute time no matter where she finally joins."

The project will be built in two phases. Phase One covers about 30km from Al Shanouf Road in Sharjah to Dubai–Al Ain Road, at a cost of around Dh3.5 billion. Phase Two will add another 50km to Al Faya Road in Abu Dhabi. The highway will have 12 lanes, 72 bridges, 17 tunnels and 45 drainage culverts. It will handle up to 24,000 vehicles per hour and link directly to Al Maktoum International Airport and Etihad Rail.

Future planning

Joseph Salem, Partner and Head of Travel, Transportation & Hospitality Practice at Arthur D. Little Middle East, said the project is exactly the kind of forward-looking infrastructure planning the region needs. "By integrating road, air and rail connectivity into a single corridor, Dubai is once again showing that it designs transport as an integrated system, not as a series of isolated fixes," he said.

He added that pairing a 60 per cent cut in travel time with real multimodal links shows Dubai is "building capacity to match its long-term population and economic ambitions, not just responding to today's traffic pressures."

For Damien, the new highway brings hopes of a good public transport system. "Currently, there is barely any means of public transport for those who wish to have an affordable option of travel to and from the city," he said.“I hope that when the corridor is complete, the RTA starts to implement more quicker and easier direct bus routes to and from the city. If they can also put in good feeder bus routes from the closest metro stations and the Etihad Rail station, it would be a great move.”

Dubai's Fourth Corridor: Residents Eye Shorter Commutes, Less Traffic

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