Dubai has approved a new 80-kilometre road corridor designed to cut travel times to Abu Dhabi and Sharjah by up to 60%. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, announced the project on 16 September 2026.

The corridor, called the Fourth Corridor, will run from Al Shanouf Road in Sharjah to Al Faya Road in Abu Dhabi. That gives the emirate a fourth major cross-border route. The National reported it should ease pressure on Sheikh Zayed Road, Emirates Road and Al Ain Road. Those are the three highways residents currently rely on for the same journey.

The first phase covers Al Shanouf Road to Dubai-Al Ain Road. It carries a price tag of three and a half billion dirhams, or Dh3.5 billion. The government has not yet released a cost for the second phase, which will extend the route on to Al Faya Road.

Once complete, the corridor will run 12 lanes in each direction. It is designed to handle up to 24,000 vehicles an hour in both directions, according to the announcement. Officials expect it to serve more than 3.1 million residents across the three emirates.

The route includes 72 bridges, 17 tunnels and 45 stormwater drainage culverts. It will connect to Al Maktoum International Airport and the Etihad Rail network, linking road, rail and air transport along one corridor.

"This project reflects our continued commitment to investing in infrastructure as a driver of economic growth, a foundation for enhancing quality of life, and a key pillar of Dubai's readiness for the future," Sheikh Hamdan said.

No construction start date or completion timeline was given for either phase.

For residents who commute between the three emirates, a working fourth route could ease the daily congestion on Sheikh Zayed Road and Emirates Road. Both have grown busier as the population has expanded.

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