2026-09-02
Sharjah’s Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) will open the first phase of the Al Taawun Tunnel in November 2026, before the Sharjah International Book Fair (4-15 November 2026 at Expo Centre Sharjah), with full completion of the scheme expected in February 2027. The 500-metre tunnel runs beneath Al Taawun Roundabout, carries three lanes in each direction from Al Taawun Street towards Al Nahda Bridge and Dubai, and is expected to cut waiting times on this stretch of the Sharjah-Dubai corridor by up to 85%. The tunnel is the centrepiece of an AED 750 million road programme ordered by the Ruler of Sharjah, which adds five bridges and a series of free-flow intersections on the busiest routes between the two emirates.
What opens in November 2026
On 2026-09-02 The National reported, citing SRTA, that the tunnel at Al Taawun Roundabout would partially open in about two months. Khaleej Times specified the scope of the first phase: the tunnel itself plus the connecting roads leading towards Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Street and Emirates Road. The same schedule was announced by SRTA on the “Direct Line” programme of Sharjah TV, according to Emirates 24|7. The remaining works are scheduled for completion in February 2027.
The timing is tied to the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, which runs from 4 to 15 November 2026 at Expo Centre Sharjah, next to the roundabout. The fair drew 1.4 million visitors last year, so the authority wants the underground link working before the crowds arrive. When construction started in June, SRTA said the project “will enhance the efficiency of the road network and improve traffic flow across the emirate”.
The section from Al Nahda Bridge to Al Taawun Roundabout is one of the most congested approaches to Dubai. The tunnel lets through traffic pass under the surface junction without stopping, while a new signalised intersection above it handles local turns.
Key figures of the Al Taawun Tunnel
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 500 metres |
| Lanes | 3 in each direction |
| Route | Al Taawun Street to Al Nahda Bridge and Dubai |
| Capacity | Up to 4,000 vehicles per hour (The National); the new signalised intersection alongside it is designed for around 4,200 vehicles per hour in each direction at peak (Sharjah24, Khaleej Times) |
| Expected effect | Waiting times down by up to 85% |
| First phase | November 2026: tunnel plus links towards Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Street and Emirates Road |
| Full completion | February 2027 |
| Programme | AED 750 million Sharjah road programme: 5 bridges, 1 tunnel, free-flow intersections |
| Delivery | Mubadara (Authority for Initiatives Implementation) and SRTA |
| Progress | 20% complete as of late July 2026, work around the clock (SRTA) |
The AED 750 million programme: five bridges and one tunnel
The programme was announced on 2026-06-17 by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau. It was ordered by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and is built around two axes: the Al Taawun corridor running to Al Nahda Bridge and into Dubai, and Al Khan Street through to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. Five components are being built in parallel, using precast concrete to keep pace with the schedule:
- Al Taawun Tunnel. 500 metres, three lanes each way beneath Al Taawun Roundabout, with a new signalised junction for around 4,200 vehicles per direction at peak, direct access to Expo Centre Sharjah and a future link to Al Noor Road, the extension of Al Orooba Street towards the Heart of Sharjah.
- Al Khulafa Al Rashideen Intersection. Box culverts beneath the existing bridge, two extra lanes in each direction over a 37-metre stretch, a 315-metre slip bridge to Gamal Abdel Nasser Street and a new free-flow entry from Al Ittihad Road to Al Khan Street; around 2,600 vehicles per hour across both directions. The design keeps shopfronts on both sides of the road visible.
- Industrial Streets 1 and 2. Two 130-metre bridges with two lanes per direction and approach ramps of about 200 metres, giving free-flow turns for traffic from Dubai towards Maleha Road, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road and Al Waset Road; around 2,800 vehicles per direction at peak.
- Industrial Street 3. Two bridges with a combined route length of about 2.7 km, turning lanes towards Maleha Road, Sheikh Khalifa Road and Al Dhaid Road and a culvert to the Ring Road, linking the industrial areas with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Al Khan Street and Al Ittihad Road; around 5,200 vehicles per hour in both directions.
- Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road interchange. An upgrade of the existing interchange to speed up access between the highway and the Al Taawun, Al Khan and Al Buhaira districts and to ease pressure on Al Ittihad Road.
Khaleej Times also lists Al Noor Road, from Al Orooba Street into Dubai via Al Nahda Bridge, as an alternative corridor due by the end of 2026. In June the official announcement spoke of a soft opening of the whole scheme in November 2026; the updated schedule splits it into a first phase in November and full completion in February 2027.
Who is building it and how the works are going
Delivery is led by Mubadara, the Authority for Initiatives Implementation, and SRTA, in coordination with the Sharjah Department of Town Planning and Survey, Sharjah Police General Command, Sharjah City Municipality, the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA), e& and du. Traffic diversions agreed with Sharjah Police have been in place since 13 June 2026, when Al Taawun Street was partially closed and traffic towards Al Nahda Bridge was redirected via Al Corniche Street.
On 23 July 2026 SRTA reported on Sharjah TV’s “Direct Line” that the tunnel had reached 20% completion, with construction continuing around the clock to hold the approved schedule. Building the tunnel required the temporary removal of the Al Taawun Roundabout monument: engineers found its foundations too deep to tunnel underneath. The Ruler of Sharjah has said the monument will be redesigned and rebuilt in its original location once the project is complete.
The Sharjah-Dubai corridor: what else is changing
The tunnel is one of several projects on both sides of the emirate border that opened or advanced in the same week:
- On 2026-08-30 Dubai’s RTA opened two new lanes on Emirates Road on the 5 km stretch between Sharjah and Wadi Al Amardi, widening the road from six to eight lanes and lifting capacity from 12,000 to 16,000 vehicles per hour, about 33% more, with peak-hour journey times expected to fall by up to 25%.
- Inside Sharjah, the AED 140 million Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street and Maliha Street intersection adds a three-lane overpass of about 500 metres and nearly 2.5 km of surface roads, cutting the trip from central Sharjah towards Maliha Road from around 20 to about 10 minutes.
- Maintenance crews have resurfaced 785 metres of roads in Al Jazzat and 730 metres in Al Hazana.
- In central Dubai, RTA opened the fourth bridge of the World Trade Centre roundabout scheme on the same weekend.
Demand for road space keeps growing as well: Sharjah’s private schools expect about 204,000 pupils in 2026-27, and Sharjah24 singles out the densely populated Al Majaz and Al Nahda districts as the main beneficiaries among the residents who commute to Dubai every day.
What the tunnel means for businesses
- Employers with staff living in Sharjah. Many Dubai companies have employees who commute from Al Nahda, Al Majaz and Al Taawun. A free-flow link under the roundabout, combined with the extra lanes on Emirates Road, shortens the morning and evening peaks that shape shift planning and office hours.
- Logistics and trading firms. The Industrial Street bridges connect Sharjah’s industrial areas with the Ring Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, and the Al Khulafa Al Rashideen upgrade gives a free-flow entry from Al Ittihad Road to Al Khan Street. Delivery windows between Sharjah warehouses and Dubai customers become more predictable.
- Exhibitors and event organisers. Expo Centre Sharjah gets a direct route from the tunnel. The first test is the book fair on 4-15 November 2026, after 1.4 million visitors at the previous edition; build-up, deliveries and visitor traffic will no longer queue through the roundabout.
- Retail and hospitality on Al Taawun Street. Partial closures and diversions have been in place since 13 June 2026 and will continue until February 2027. The intersection designs keep shopfront visibility, but businesses on the corridor should plan for another five months of works.
- Contractors and suppliers. Five components delivered in parallel with precast concrete keep demand alive for precast elements, traffic management, utility relocation and testing services in Sharjah until early 2027.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital works with companies that build their UAE presence around the growing Sharjah and Dubai economy. We handle company setup in a free zone or on the mainland, match licence activities to contracting, trading, logistics or event-services work, and assist with corporate bank account opening so a new entity can sign contracts and receive payments without delay. If your team lives in Sharjah and works in Dubai, or your warehouse sits on one side of the emirate border and your customers on the other, we can structure the licence and residency visas in one workflow.
Conclusion
The Al Taawun Tunnel is a 500-metre structure with an outsized role: it takes the through traffic between Sharjah’s older districts and Dubai off a surface roundabout that has been a bottleneck for years. The first phase in November 2026 is timed for the book fair, the full scheme follows in February 2027, and around it the AED 750 million programme adds five bridges and free-flow entries on Al Ittihad Road, Al Khan Street and the industrial streets. Together with the extra lanes on Emirates Road, the Sharjah-Dubai corridor is gaining new capacity on both sides of the emirate border within the same season. For businesses on either side, the planning assumption is straightforward: a few more months of diversions, then a faster and more predictable commute.
FAQ
When will the Al Taawun Tunnel in Sharjah open?
The first phase, including the tunnel and the connecting roads towards Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Street and Emirates Road, is due to open in November 2026, before the Sharjah International Book Fair on 4-15 November 2026. Full completion of the project is scheduled for February 2027.
What are the parameters of the Al Taawun Tunnel?
The tunnel is 500 metres long and runs beneath Al Taawun Roundabout with three lanes in each direction, from Al Taawun Street towards Al Nahda Bridge and Dubai. The National puts its capacity at up to 4,000 vehicles per hour, and the new signalised intersection alongside it is designed for around 4,200 vehicles per hour in each direction at peak. Waiting times are expected to fall by up to 85%.
What does Sharjah’s AED 750 million road programme include?
Five components built in parallel by Mubadara and SRTA: the Al Taawun Tunnel; the Al Khulafa Al Rashideen intersection upgrade with a 315-metre slip bridge (around 2,600 vehicles per hour); two 130-metre bridges on Industrial Streets 1 and 2 (around 2,800 vehicles per direction); two bridges on Industrial Street 3 with a combined route of about 2.7 km (around 5,200 vehicles per hour); and an upgrade of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road interchange.
What happened to the monument at Al Taawun Roundabout?
The monument was temporarily removed because its foundations were too deep to tunnel underneath. The Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, has said it will be redesigned and rebuilt in its original location once the tunnel project is complete in February 2027.
