As population and car ownership surge, residents enduring exhausting journeys between emirates welcome major infrastructure investment and call for flexible work hours.
(DUBAI) For thousands of residents in the UAE, the daily commute is not just an inconvenience; it’s a gruelling, multi-hour ordeal that consumes their time, energy, and family life. However, a massive new government infrastructure plan is offering a beacon of hope for those trapped in the gridlock.
The announcement of a Dh170-billion investment in transport, including a new national highway, has been welcomed by commuters who routinely lose up to four hours daily navigating congested roads between the northern emirates, Sharjah, and Dubai.
Officials attribute the intense peak-time congestion to a combination of overlapping school and work hours and explosive vehicle ownership growth. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure reports an annual vehicle ownership increase of over 8%—four times the global average—driven by the country’s expanding population and economy.
Lives Shaped by the Road
The human cost of this congestion is stark. Mohyeddin Yousef, a 29-year-old math teacher, embarks on a daily cross-emirate journey from his home in Ajman, dropping his children in Sharjah before heading to work in Dubai.
“On normal days, it’s about an hour and a half, but if there’s an accident, it can stretch to two hours,” he said. “I’ve seen everything — twisted metal, fires, injuries. By the time I get to work, I’m already drained.”
The exhausting routine has reshaped his family life. “I usually sleep right after sunset just to recover. I only really see my kids on weekends,” Mohyeddin shared.
Calls for Holistic Solutions
While hopeful about the new highway, commuters and experts suggest a multi-pronged approach is needed. Mohyeddin proposed using technology to map commuting patterns and expanding public transport, like the metro, as faster solutions.
Rashid Saif Al Bedwawi, a Dubai resident, emphasized that infrastructure must be paired with better driver behaviour and stricter vehicle safety checks. “The issue isn’t just the roads,” he said. “It’s also about driver awareness.”
For working parents like Sharjah resident Jamila Ahmed, the traffic is a source of profound daily stress. “It starts my day on a negative note and leaves me drained. As a mom, I don’t have much time left to spend with my children,” she said.
She echoed a growing call for employers to adopt flexible or remote work options. “That would help just as much as new roads in improving people’s quality of life.”
The new highway project represents a critical step in untangling the UAE’s traffic woes, but for residents like Mohyeddin and Jamila, the goal is simple: to reclaim their time and restore balance to their lives.
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