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Dubai has approved the First Al Khail Street Development Plan, a 15km elevated corridor parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road. The project is intended to ease peak-hour traffic, but it is not under construction yet. No official diversions, toll changes or speed-limit changes had been found as of 4 July 2026.
WHAT CHANGED
A new parallel corridor is approved
The plan sits within an AED18 billion package approved by The Executive Council of Dubai.
WHEN / WHERE
Q3 2027 to Q4 2030
Construction is scheduled to start in Q3 2027, with completion targeted for Q4 2030.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Do not change routes yet
No First Al Khail-specific closure or diversion notice has been announced.
◷Last checked: 4 July 2026
◎For drivers and businesses, recheck RTA traffic notices before acting
THE FULL PICTURE
Dubai is planning a new road corridor to take pressure off Sheikh Zayed Road
Dubai has approved the First Al Khail Street Development Plan, centred on a 15km elevated carriageway with three lanes in each direction. The project was announced by Dubai Media Office after Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, chaired a meeting approving AED18 billion in projects and strategies.
The key point for drivers is that this is described officially as a strategic corridor parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road. It should not be read as a confirmed 15km widening of Sheikh Zayed Road itself. The aim is to add road-network capacity and improve access to named districts including Al Barsha, Al Quoz, Business Bay and Meydan.
Status: this is an approved future project. Construction is scheduled to begin in Q3 2027 and completion is targeted for Q4 2030. As of the last check on 4 July 2026, no official construction-stage diversion, road closure, Salik or toll change, speed-limit change, route change, contractor award, phased opening plan or detailed alignment map had been found.
PROJECT
First Al Khail Street Development Plan
A planned elevated corridor parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road.
CONFIRMED
15km, three lanes each way
These figures come from the official Dubai Media Office announcement.
NOT CONFIRMED
Exact ramps and alignment
No official detailed map was located during the research check.
KEY NUMBERS
The official figures, and how to read them
The headline figures are significant, but several of them are forecasts rather than everyday guarantees for every trip.
- 15km: the length of the elevated carriageway described in the official announcement.
- Three lanes in each direction: the planned lane count for the elevated carriageway.
- 2.6 million people: the number of people the project is expected to serve, according to Dubai Media Office.
- 51%: the official forecast for reducing travel time on Sheikh Zayed Road during peak hours. The announcement does not publish the exact segment, baseline travel time or modelling assumptions.
- Approximately 9,000 vehicles per hour: the stated capacity increase. The official wording does not specify whether this is per direction or total corridor capacity.
- Q3 2027: the scheduled start of construction.
- Q4 2030: the targeted completion period.
The safest way to understand the project is as a future parallel capacity route. It is designed to relieve Sheikh Zayed Road pressure, not to trigger an immediate change to the way drivers use Sheikh Zayed Road today.
LOCATION EXPLAINED
How First Al Khail fits between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road
Dubai Media Office describes the project as a strategic corridor parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road. In practical terms, that means the benefit comes from giving traffic another high-capacity route in the wider corridor, rather than simply adding lanes to Sheikh Zayed Road itself.
The official announcement says the plan will improve access to Al Barsha, Al Quoz, Business Bay and Meydan. Those areas sit around some of Dubai’s busiest commuting, commercial, logistics, residential and visitor flows, making the access details important for residents, businesses and regular drivers.
What has not yet been published is just as important: no official detailed map, start point, end point, interchange design, ramp list or access-point layout was located in the checked official sources. Until those details appear, readers should avoid relying on unofficial maps or social posts that claim to show the exact route.
FOR MOTORISTS
What changes now, and what has not been announced
There is no announced immediate action for drivers solely because of this approval. Existing users of Sheikh Zayed Road, First Al Khail Street and Al Khail Road should not be told to change routes based on the approval alone.
As of 4 July 2026, the research check found no official First Al Khail-specific road closures, diversions, speed-limit changes, route changes, Salik or toll changes, or temporary traffic-management notices. That does not mean there will never be disruption. It means the construction-stage plan has not been announced yet.
Dubai Media Office says the project will use innovative technologies and modern construction methods to accelerate delivery without affecting traffic movement in the area. Treat that as an official project objective, not as a guarantee that no local impact will occur at any stage of works.
Need the full list of unresolved transport details?
Still unconfirmed: exact alignment, start and end points, ramps, interchanges, land-take, contractor or tender status, financing split, construction phasing, traffic-management plans, temporary diversions, Salik or toll implications, speed-limit implications and staged opening dates.
Best Of will treat these as open questions until they are confirmed by RTA, Dubai Media Office or another official source.
MORE THAN THE NEWS
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AREAS AFFECTED
Why Al Barsha, Al Quoz, Business Bay and Meydan matter
The four named areas matter because they sit around major daily movement patterns. Al Barsha is a large residential and commercial district. Al Quoz has heavy business, warehouse, creative and service traffic. Business Bay is a major employment and hospitality district. Meydan continues to sit within an expanding residential and leisure growth zone.
The official claim is that the project will serve 2.6 million people and improve access to those districts. It does not rank which area benefits most, and it does not yet say exactly where vehicles will enter or exit the new elevated carriageway.
BIGGER PICTURE
This is part of Dubai’s wider push for parallel corridors and better links
The First Al Khail plan fits a wider road-network strategy: more parallel routes, more east-west connectivity and upgraded access around growth districts. Related official RTA and Dubai Media Office updates show multiple corridor projects supporting movement between Sheikh Zayed Road, First Al Khail, Al Khail Road and other strategic roads.
Recent and ongoing context includes Hessa Street works linking Sheikh Zayed Road, First Al Khail Street and Al Khail Road, plus the Umm Suqeim, Al Wasl and Al Safa Streets development contract. RTA has also completed Al Meydan Street connectivity upgrades improving links between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road via Al Meydan Street and First Al Khail Road.
Other context includes the completed Al Jamayel Street corridor, formerly Garn Al Sabkha Street, which RTA describes as linking Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road via First Al Khail Road and Al Asayel Street. Al Fay Street is also part of wider road-capacity planning, although it should be treated as broader network context rather than a directly adjacent Sheikh Zayed Road project.
OFFICIAL LINKS
Where to check the source announcements
WHAT CHANGED
The approval is confirmed, the operational plan is not yet public
- 1 July 2026: Dubai Media Office announced that Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed chaired an Executive Council meeting approving AED18 billion in projects and strategies, including the First Al Khail Street Development Plan.
- 4 July 2026: Research checked official Dubai Media Office and RTA sources. No dedicated First Al Khail project page, official detailed map, traffic diversion notice, toll change, speed-limit change or phased opening plan was found.
WHAT WE CHECKED
Source basis and verification notes
This article uses Dubai Media Office and RTA sources as the source of truth for official project facts. Media reports were treated as supporting context only. Last checked: 4 July 2026.
- Dubai Media Office: confirmed the Executive Council approval, AED18 billion package, First Al Khail plan, 15km elevated carriageway, three lanes each way, Q3 2027 construction start, Q4 2030 completion target, named districts, 2.6 million people served, 51% peak-hour travel-time forecast and approximately 9,000 vehicles per hour capacity claim.
- RTA ongoing projects page: checked for official road-project context and for whether a dedicated First Al Khail listing was visible in the checked content.
- Dubai Media Office, Umm Suqeim, Al Wasl and Al Safa update: used for nearby corridor-upgrade context.
- Dubai Media Office, Hessa Street Phase I update: used for corridor context linking Sheikh Zayed Road, First Al Khail Street and Al Khail Road.
- Dubai Media Office, Al Meydan Street update: used for completed connectivity context between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road via Al Meydan Street and First Al Khail Road.
- Dubai Media Office, Al Jamayel Street update: used for east-west corridor context via First Al Khail Road and Al Asayel Street.
- RTA Al Khail Road Improvement Project: used to confirm Al Khail Road’s role as a parallel and supporting corridor, with upgrades relevant to Meydan, Al Quoz and Business Bay access.
- RTA Al Fay Street Development Project: used for wider network-capacity context only.
- The National: used only as a reputable supporting report, not as primary verification.
- Arabian Business original lead: used for editorial framing of reader interest, not as the source of truth for official facts.
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