Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan hails UAE as $29m Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road opens

Motorway links nine towns in a path through mountainous terrain

The Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, has opened the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Road in the Mohmand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. All photos Wam

The 42 kilometre road links nine cities in the northwest of the country.

The road weaves its way through rugged terrain.

It was funded by the UAE and implemented by the UAE Pakistan Assistance Programme.

The road spans 9.3 metres and will make transportation of goods easier.

And nine bridges were constructed through the mountains.

A UAE-funded road linking nine towns and more than 600,000 people has opened in Pakistan.

The $29 million (Dh106m) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Road carved a path through mountainous terrain in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It spans 9.3 metres and includes a tunnel, nine intersecting bridges and water channels to guard against flash floods along the 42-kilometre path in the Mohmand district.

And it is hoped it will improve the economy by making goods transport easier.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan opened the road on Monday and hailed the UAE's contribution.

"I want to express my sincere thanks to the UAE, especially Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed," said Mr Khan.

The project was implemented by the UAE Pakistan Assistance Programme and financed by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.

Abdullah Al Ghafli, director of the programme, said it represented one of the largest and most important development projects undertaken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said it took extensive and exceptional efforts to complete works on the road because of a harsh climate and mountainous terrain.

Mr Al Ghafli said the road was named after Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, in appreciation for his humanitarian gestures towards to the Pakistani people.

The road marked the latest relief and development effort by the UAE there.

Earlier this month, the UAE sent aid to southern Pakistan to help victims of heavy flooding in the province of Sindh, including Karachi city.