Dubai opens bridge connecting Sheikh Zayed Road to Mall of the Emirates

Dubai on Sunday opened a 300-metre bridge connecting Sheikh Zayed Road to the Mall of the Emirates in support of a major drive to cut congestion in one of the busiest districts of the emirate.

The transport link will provide direct access to the popular shopping centre and aims to half travel times, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority said on Sunday.

More than 40 million visitors annually visit the Mall of the Emirates, which opened in 2005. It has 454 shops, 96 restaurants and cafes, and entertainment venues such as Ski Dubai.

The venue is in the heart of Al Barsha, a densely populated area of Dubai which has long been a traffic hotspot.

The authority said the new bridge would offer “direct access to the Mall of the Emirates for those coming from Umm Suqeim Street, heading west towards Sheikh Zayed Road southbound”.

It is part of a wider Dh165 million project – due to be completed by the end of this year – which will also see pedestrian and cycling lanes upgraded.

Officials hope the plan will cut travel time for motorists coming from the direction of Jebel Ali from 10 minutes to one minute, and from 15 minutes to eight minutes from Umm Suqeim.

The authority is leading a comprehensive road-building strategy to help ensure Dubai's infrastructure can keep pace with population growth.

Dubai's population passed 3.5 million in 2022 and now stands at more than 3.83 million.

The Dubai Government is set to invest heavily in infrastructure in the years ahead as it sets its sights on growing its population to 5.8 million by 2040.

In October, Dubai unveiled its largest government budget for 2025-2027, with spending of Dh272 billion ($74 billion).

In 2025 alone, expenditure is set at Dh86.26 billion, with 46 per cent to be spent on infrastructure, including roads, bridges, transportation systems and renewable energy centres, as well as the announced Al Maktoum Airport development.

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