Dubai's transport chiefs will lead a Dh689 million revamp of Hessa Street aimed at cutting congestion, slashing travel times and boosting safety on one of the emirate's busiest routes.
The Roads and Transport Authority said on Sunday it had been awarded the contract to oversee the development of the Hessa Street Improvement Project as part of a drive from Dubai's leadership to bolster road infrastructure across the emirate.
The scheme will expand Hessa Street to four lanes in each direction, adding 4.5km of road, and involve the development of four junctions.
The initiative will double the capacity of the key road, which serves residential areas with a population of about 640,000 people.
A 13.5km cycle path is also planned, along with two bridges for cyclists and pedestrians crossing Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Street.
Details of the congestion-cutting scheme were announced by the Dubai Media Office and the RTA on Sunday.
The RTA said the work was being carried out on the directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mattar Al Tayer, director general of the RTA, said the Hessa Street project was "one of the most important infrastructure development projects for the road network", in remarks carried by the Dubai Media Office.
Road expansion plans
"The project serves a number of residential and development areas, such as the Al Sufouh Second area, the Al Barsha residential area and the Jumeirah Village Circle," he said.
The RTA is stepping up efforts to expand its road network to help meet the needs of a booming Dubai population which crossed 3.5 million in April last year, buoyed by a post-pandemic surge in migration.
Dubai Statistics Centre's live population counter stood at more than 3.62 million on Sunday.
In July, the RTA awarded a contract for the Garn Al Sabkha Street Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project.
The Dh374 million ($101.82 million) scheme will include the construction of four bridges capable of carrying 17,600 vehicles per hour. When complete, it will slash journey times and make commuting easier for motorists.
It aims to cut travel times between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road.
In March it was announced the RTA had awarded the first contract under Phase 4 of its Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project.
The Dh5.3 billion project is aimed at serving the needs of urban growth along the corridor, the authority said. The scope of the Dh800 million contract extends 4.8km along Sheikh Rashid Road, from the junction with Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street to the Falcon Interchange on Al Mina Road.
Dubai is also set to open seven new footbridges as part of a major effort to make the emirate a global leader in traffic safety.
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
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Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
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Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Most wanted allegations
- Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
- Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
- Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer.
- Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
- Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
- John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
- Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
- Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
- Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain.
- Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
- James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
- Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack.
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Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
