Dubai residents can look forward to significantly shorter commutes following the approval of an Dhs 18 billion package of transformative development projects. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman the Executive Council of Dubai, approved the multi-billion-dirham budget to elevate infrastructure, urban planning, culture and economic competitiveness across the emirate.
The standout infrastructure project in the package is the First Al Khail Street Development Plan. The initiative introduces a 15-kilometre elevated carriageway featuring three lanes in each direction, running completely parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road. Scheduled for construction between Q3 2027 and Q4 2030, this strategic corridor will directly serve 2.6 million people. It will drastically improve access to major business and residential hubs, including Al Barsha, Al Quoz, Business Bay and Meydan, while slashing peak-hour travel times on Sheikh Zayed Road by 51 per cent and boosting overall road network capacity by 9,000 vehicles per hour.
The Executive Council approved the Dubai Cultural Strategy 2033. Supervised by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority under Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, this scheme seeks to increase Dubai’s cultural asset footprint by over 200%, support more than 6,000 local talents and attract 6,000 international creatives to the city.
The developmental package also incorporates cutting-edge technology into civic planning through the ‘Dubai Population Now’ initiative. Run by the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment, this project uses artificial intelligence to establish a real-time population clock, allowing municipal authorities to plan schools, hospitals and public transport with pinpoint precision.
Additional approved measures include the creation of a unified Dubai Investor Register to streamline business setup, an expanded city-wide address system across 186 areas by 2029, and the launch of a global hub for Islamic fintech at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).