As Dubai’s skyline stretches ever higher and its population surges steadily upwards, its roads increasingly show the signs of this extraordinary growth. As many metropolises have discovered, living in a city on the move can often mean spending a large amount of time in stationary traffic.
While congestion on the roads may be an inevitable symptom of societal boom times, it can nonetheless bear a heavy cost for everyone. In public-messaging campaigns, the focus is often on safety; it is well-established that congestion can lead to accidents. But there is a range of other – often very expensive – externalities. Congestion reduces the productivity of the labour force, inflates transport costs (and, by extension, the price of other services and goods) and increases carbon emissions from idle exhaust fumes. There is also a mental toll: last year, Dubai drivers lost nearly a day and a half of time that could have been spent doing other things sitting instead in unusually high traffic.
Few cities, moreover, have grown as quickly as Dubai, where the population has doubled in the past 15 years. Nearby Abu Dhabi, for its part, has grown by 50 per cent in the past decade, with 7.5 per cent population growth last year alone. In the Northern Emirates, a host of development projects are expected to raise investment and resident numbers in the coming years. Consequently, authorities have had to plan quickly to ensure that transport infrastructure can keep up. In recent weeks, an ambitious portfolio of projects and planning initiatives has been announced to that end.
This week, the UAE unveiled a Dh750 million ($204 million) expansion of Emirates Road, a key artery linking Dubai and the Northern Emirates. The project, announced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, will add three lanes in each direction across a 16-kilometre stretch, boosting the road’s capacity to 12,000 vehicles per hour and offering relief to hundreds of thousands of daily commuters.
Last year, Dubai drivers lost nearly a day and a half of time that could have been spent doing other things
The announcement came on the heels of another major investment: a Dh633 million ($172 million) plan to upgrade roads in Dubai’s financial district. The project will cut congestion on one of the city’s busiest routes, the portion of Al Mustaqbal Street stretching from Zabeel Palace Street to Financial Centre Street, via three tunnels, a bridge and a lane-expansion. The result will be a better commuter experience for thousands of people who move in and out of Downtown Dubai every day.
These projects are part of a wider constellation of efforts towards integrated urban planning to future-proof the country. The UAE is increasingly leveraging technology, data and design to not only manage congestion but also enhance safety and sustainability. Smart traffic signals, dynamically priced toll roads, improved pedestrian zones and the development of public transit networks are all part of this strategy.
Solving the problem of congestion is not easy. But the tools UAE cities are using to tackle it are the right ones. And the level of investment being pumped into transport infrastructure provides plenty of cause for optimism that the way ahead is clear.
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
Race card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m
9.25pm: Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
10.35pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm: Shahm, 7.05pm: Well Of Wisdom, 7.40pm: Lucius Tiberius, 8.15pm: Captain Von Trapp, 8.50pm: Secret Advisor, 9.25pm: George Villiers, 10pm: American Graffiti, 10.35pm: On The Warpath
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Results
57kg quarter-finals
Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Hamed Al Matari (YEM) by points 3-0.
60kg quarter-finals
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) RSC round 2.
63.5kg quarter-finals
Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Shamlan A Othman (KUW) by points 3-0.
67kg quarter-finals
Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Ahmad Ondash (LBN) by points 2-1.
71kg quarter-finals
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) defeated Lalthasanga Lelhchhun (IND) by points 3-0.
Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Seyed Kaveh Safakhaneh (IRI) by points 3-0.
81kg quarter-finals
Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Ahmad Hilal (PLE) by points 3-0
The biog
Favourite food: Fish and seafood
Favourite hobby: Socialising with friends
Favourite quote: You only get out what you put in!
Favourite country to visit: Italy
Favourite film: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Family: We all have one!
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The Specs
Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp (542bhp in GTS model)
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
