UAE’s E-911 Highway to Feature Up to 16 Lanes Between Dubai-Sharjah Border and Ras Al Khaimah

The UAE’s planned fourth federal highway, E-911, is set to feature between 12 and 16 lanes across both directions along a 68km corridor connecting the Dubai-Sharjah border to Ras Al Khaimah. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has issued a tender for engineering consultancy and design services, marking another step in the development of the major road project.

According to the tender documents, the highway will extend to Al Shuhada Road (E-87) in Ras Al Khaimah. An additional 8km connecting road is planned to link the new corridor with Emirates Road (E-611) in Umm Al Quwain.

The proposed route alignment has already been approved by the relevant local emirate authorities, and its concept design has been completed.

E-911 Highway: Consultancy Tender and Design Plans

Under Tender No. 2026-022, the selected consultant will review and validate the existing concept design, conduct the necessary technical studies and investigations, and prepare preliminary and detailed designs alongside the tender documents.

The ministry invited eligible Category A consultants to submit their bids by October 23, 2026.

Once developed, E-911 is expected to become the UAE’s fourth major federal highway, joining Al Ittihad Road (E-11), Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E-311) and Emirates Road (E-611).

According to the UAE Government’s official portal, E-11 is the country’s longest highway, connecting Abu Dhabi with Ras Al Khaimah. E-311 connects the emirates, while E-611 provides an alternative route between Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates.

Dh6 Billion Project to Improve Connectivity

The Fourth Federal Corridor was among the major infrastructure projects reviewed by the UAE Infrastructure and Housing Council at its first meeting of 2026.

The project is estimated to cost Dh6 billion and is expected to include 10 major intersections and four flyovers.

The council said the corridor aims to improve connectivity between emirates, expand road capacity and ease traffic congestion.

During the same meeting, officials also reviewed plans to strengthen public transport connections between Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. The proposals included a network of 10 routes supported by Bus Rapid Transit systems and dedicated lanes, with links to metro stations and major urban centres.

Work was also under way to improve Ajman’s connections to the Third and Fourth Federal Corridors, giving motorists additional route options.

Dubai-Sharjah Traffic Congestion Raises Concerns

The proposed highway comes amid persistent concerns about traffic congestion between Dubai and the Northern Emirates, particularly during peak commuting hours.

The issue has repeatedly been raised at the Federal National Council (FNC). During a session in March 2025, member Dr Adnan Al Hammadi questioned the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure about worsening congestion between Dubai and Sharjah.

Al Hammadi said employees commuting between the two emirates could spend approximately 460 hours a year travelling, equivalent to nearly 60 working days.

In response, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei said development work on key federal road corridors had begun in 2024 and was continuing.

Al Mazrouei also highlighted the need to update policies governing vehicle ownership and registration. He noted that vehicle growth in Dubai had exceeded 8%, compared with a global average of around 2%.

The issue returned to the FNC in April 2026, when Al Hammadi raised further concerns about population growth, vehicle registrations and congestion. He called for studies on future population increases, restrictions on heavy vehicles during peak hours, and stricter controls on driving licences and vehicle registrations.

Responding to the concerns, Al Mazrouei said a major project was under way to address congestion between Sharjah and Dubai. He said the proposed Fourth Federal Corridor would have the capacity to accommodate around 360,000 trips per day.

UAE Plans Dh170 Billion Transport Investment Through 2030

The E-911 project forms part of the UAE’s broader efforts to expand its transport infrastructure in response to population growth and rising vehicle numbers.

In November 2025, Al Mazrouei announced a Dh170-billion national roads and transport investment programme extending through 2030. The programme included plans to expand the three existing major federal highways and study the construction of a fourth.

The minister said the investment programme aimed to improve the efficiency of the federal road network by 73% over five years.

With its planned high lane capacity, major intersections and connection to Emirates Road, E-911 is intended to strengthen links between the emirates and provide additional capacity on routes affected by growing commuter traffic.