Published: 2026-08-15
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened a new 500-metre, two-lane bridge that carries traffic from Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and One Central directly onto the intersection of Al Mustaqbal Street and Za'abeel Palace Street. The bridge opened on Friday, 2026-08-14, and cuts the journey out of the exhibition district during major events from about 10 minutes to 2 minutes. It is the first completed element of the Al Mustaqbal Street Development Project, a AED 633 million upgrade that will also add three tunnels with a combined length of 1,500 metres by February 2027 and raise the corridor's capacity by 33%, to 8,800 vehicles per hour in both directions.
What exactly has opened
The new crossing is a 500-metre bridge with two lanes that serves traffic leaving Dubai World Trade Centre and the One Central office district and channels it onto Al Mustaqbal Street at its junction with Za'abeel Palace Street. Until now, drivers leaving the venue during large exhibitions could spend around 10 minutes crawling to the same point; the RTA expects the direct ramp to bring this down to roughly 2 minutes even at peak event times.
Announcing the opening, Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, described the Al Mustaqbal Street Development Project as strategically significant because of its location at the heart of one of Dubai's most vital districts. The authority estimates that around 500,000 residents and visitors will benefit from the completed scheme.
Inside the AED 633 million project
The bridge is one piece of a much larger programme. The Al Mustaqbal Street Development Project covers roughly 2,000 metres of new bridges and tunnels and stretches from Za'abeel Palace Street to Financial Centre Street. Along a 3,500-metre section, Al Mustaqbal Street itself is being widened from three to four lanes in each direction. The package also includes a pedestrian bridge on Al Sukook Street.
Once all elements are delivered, the corridor's throughput rises by 33%, from 6,600 to 8,800 vehicles per hour in both directions, and the end-to-end journey along the street is projected to fall from 13 minutes to 6 minutes.
| Component | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge from DWTC and One Central | 500 metres, 2 lanes, exit onto Al Mustaqbal Street at Za'abeel Palace Street | Opened 2026-08-14 |
| Three tunnels at Trade Centre Street | 1,500 metres combined, up to 9,000 vehicles per hour across three structures | February 2027 |
| Widening of Al Mustaqbal Street | From 3 to 4 lanes each way along a 3,500-metre stretch | In progress |
| Pedestrian bridge on Al Sukook Street | Safe crossing for the district's foot traffic | Part of the project |
Three tunnels to follow by February 2027
The next milestone is scheduled for February 2027, when the RTA plans to open three tunnels with a combined length of 1,500 metres at the intersection of Al Mustaqbal Street and Trade Centre Street. The first tunnel will run three lanes toward Deira with a capacity of 4,500 vehicles per hour. The second, a two-lane tunnel dedicated to left-turn movements, will handle 3,000 vehicles per hour in both directions. The third is a single-lane tunnel serving One Central with a capacity of 1,500 vehicles per hour.
Why this matters for business
DWTC is Dubai's main exhibition and conference venue: flagship events such as GITEX Global, Gulfood and Arab Health bring tens of thousands of exhibitors and visitors into one compact district within days. For companies, the congestion around those weeks had a real cost: missed meetings, longer logistics windows for stand construction and deliveries, and unpredictable travel times for staff. A 2-minute exit changes the arithmetic of an event week.
The upgrade also strengthens the surrounding business cluster. The Trade Centre District and One Central host corporate offices and the district's own DWTC free zone, long popular with events, technology and trading companies. Reliable road access is one of the quiet factors behind office rents and company registrations in central Dubai, and this corridor connects the district to Downtown, DIFC and Sheikh Zayed Road.
What the project changes for companies working around DWTC:
- Exhibitors gain predictable set-up and dismantling logistics, with event-day exits down from 10 minutes to 2.
- Businesses in One Central and Trade Centre District get a dedicated tunnel lane from February 2027.
- Delivery and staff transport planning along Al Mustaqbal Street improves as capacity rises by 33%.
- The corridor journey from Za'abeel Palace Street to Financial Centre Street shortens from 13 to 6 minutes.
The bridge is part of a broader pattern: Dubai keeps investing in mobility infrastructure as the city grows. The same trend is visible in the numbers of Parkin, the emirate's paid parking operator, which added 27% more spaces in a year, as we covered in our review of Parkin's Q2 2026 results.
How Atlant Capital can help
If your business plans to exhibit at DWTC, open an office in the Trade Centre District or register a company in Dubai, Atlant Capital handles the corporate side end to end. We advise on the optimal jurisdiction and structure through our company setup service, and we process residence permits for founders and staff under our work visa and residency service. That leaves you free to focus on the event calendar rather than the paperwork behind it.
Outlook
With the bridge open, attention shifts to February 2027 and the three tunnels at Trade Centre Street. Once they are commissioned, the AED 633 million project will be substantially complete, and the DWTC district, one of the busiest event locations in the region, will run on a road network sized for its next decade of exhibitions.
FAQ
What did Dubai's RTA open near the World Trade Centre in August 2026?
On Friday, 2026-08-14, the RTA opened a 500-metre, two-lane bridge carrying traffic from Dubai World Trade Centre and One Central onto Al Mustaqbal Street at its intersection with Za'abeel Palace Street. It cuts the exit journey during major events from about 10 minutes to 2 minutes.
How much does the Al Mustaqbal Street Development Project cost?
The project is valued at AED 633 million. It includes roughly 2,000 metres of bridges and tunnels, the widening of Al Mustaqbal Street from three to four lanes in each direction along 3,500 metres, and a pedestrian bridge on Al Sukook Street.
When will the three tunnels open and what will they add?
The RTA plans to open three tunnels with a combined length of 1,500 metres in February 2027 at the Al Mustaqbal and Trade Centre Street intersection: a three-lane tunnel toward Deira (4,500 vehicles per hour), a two-lane left-turn tunnel (3,000 vehicles per hour) and a single-lane tunnel serving One Central (1,500 vehicles per hour).
How does the project change travel times around DWTC?
Exit from the venue during major events drops from about 10 minutes to 2 minutes, and the full journey along Al Mustaqbal Street from Za'abeel Palace Street to Financial Centre Street is projected to fall from 13 minutes to 6 minutes, with corridor capacity up 33% to 8,800 vehicles per hour in both directions.
