In December 2025, the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) officially announced the launch of the Al Wasl Road major upgrade and renovation project. This project, which is 15 kilometers long and has an estimated total investment of hundreds of millions of dirhams, is far more than just widening a street. It is a key part of Dubai's systematic and forward-looking transportation strategy to address the expected large-scale population growth in the next 20 years, aimed at keeping congestion outside the gates of the future.

A three-dimensional revolution on a single path

The scale and technological content of the Al Vas Road renovation plan are among the forefront of similar projects in Dubai in recent years. Its core is the three-dimensional layered diversion of traffic flow, and its significant feature is the construction of large-scale underground tunnels.

The project will construct five new tunnels at once, with a total length of 3.8 kilometers, almost equivalent to a quarter of the total length of the Al Vas Road. Among them, the tunnel constructed at the intersection with Umm Amara Street is the most critical: this 700 meter long tunnel with two lanes in each direction is expected to have a traffic capacity of up to 6400 vehicles per hour. In addition, a unique branching tunnel will be constructed at the intersection with Manala Street to provide dedicated lanes for traffic from both Jumeirah Street and Umm Sugem Street directions. In addition to digging downwards, the project also expands upwards and sideways. The ground road will be widened from a two-way four lane road to a two-way six lane road, and comprehensive optimization will be carried out at six key intersections along the route.

This combination punch is expected to have a significant effect. According to RTA estimates, after the renovation is completed, the traffic capacity of Al Vas Road will increase from the current 8000 vehicles per hour to 12000 vehicles per hour, an increase of 50%; The travel time is expected to be reduced by half. This is of great significance for the arteries connecting multiple core residential areas in Dubai, such as Jumeirah, Al Quaez, and commercial corridors.

A transportation blueprint drawn for 5.8 million people

RTA is investing heavily in upgrading Al Vas Road at this time, not just focusing on the present, but based on a clear prediction of future urban development.

The ultimate blueprint for this series of transportation infrastructure is the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. The research cited in the plan predicts that by 2040, the total population of Dubai will surge from 3.3 million in 2020 to 5.8 million; The daytime active population will increase from 4.5 million to 7.8 million. To accommodate and serve such a large population increase and maintain a world-class quality of life, an efficient and seamless three-dimensional transportation network is the lifeline of the city.

Therefore, the upgrade of Al Vas Road is a microcosm of Dubai's multi-level transportation strategy:

Advancing the 20 minute city: As the core policy of the second phase of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, the 20 minute city aims to enable residents to meet 80% of their daily needs within 20 minutes of walking or cycling. This requires relying on an efficient backbone road network for rapid distribution, and the upgraded Al Vas Road is playing this role.

Developing large-scale public transportation: To fundamentally reduce reliance on private cars, RTA is fully committed to advancing the Dubai Metro Blue Line extension project. This new subway line, with a total length of 30 kilometers, 14 stations, and a contract amount of up to 5.6 billion US dollars, was won by the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation in 2024. It is planned to be put into operation in 2029 and is expected to serve 320000 passengers per day by 2040.

Implementing intelligent demand management: While increasing supply, RTA also regulates demand through price leverage. Starting from the end of January 2025, Dubai has implemented a staggered road toll policy, with a peak hour toll of 6 dirhams and a non peak hour toll of 4 dirhams, to guide traffic flow during off peak hours.

Deeply involved in the construction of Dubai's Future City

It is worth noting that in the grand wave of transportation upgrades in Dubai, Chinese enterprises have become an indispensable construction force. Although the specific contractor for the Al Vas Road project has not been disclosed, the upgrade project of Umm Sugem Street, which is closely related to it, was won by China Construction Middle East Company in July 2025. The contract amount has set a new record for individual projects in the history of cooperation between the company and RTA. The upgrade project aims to significantly alleviate the traffic pressure in core urban areas such as Albasha, Alquiz, Jumeirah, and Alwaser, and form a synergistic effect with the Al Vas Road renovation.

More eye-catching is the Blue Line subway project. This milestone project for Dubai's public transportation was won by the China CRRC consortium in a fierce international bidding, responsible for providing core systems such as 28 unmanned trains. This marks the successful entry of China's high-end rail transit equipment and technical standards into the global high-end market. Keywords: Middle East news, Middle East news and information

From the comprehensive upgrade of surface roads, to the extension of underground tunnels, and to the leap of rail transit, Dubai is building a resilient transportation system for the future beyond 2040 with a forward-looking vision and firm investment. The renovation of Al Vas Road is just the latest stroke in this grand blueprint, which carries Dubai's ambition to ensure efficient urban operation and residents' quality of life under the pressure of explosive population growth.Editor/Cheng Liting