• Sheikh Hamdan opens Dh2 billion Dubai-Al Ain motorway. All photos: Dubai Media Office
    Sheikh Hamdan opens Dh2 billion Dubai-Al Ain motorway. All photos: Dubai Media Office
  • The motorway has been widened in parts
    The motorway has been widened in parts
  • Sheikh Hamdan walks along the side of the Dh2 billion Dubai-Al Ain motorway.
    Sheikh Hamdan walks along the side of the Dh2 billion Dubai-Al Ain motorway.
  • The motorway connects Dubai with Al Ain, which is home to many of the country's farms, much of the military and has a population of about 700,000 people
    The motorway connects Dubai with Al Ain, which is home to many of the country's farms, much of the military and has a population of about 700,000 people
  • Colourful murals and decorations adorn roundabouts
    Colourful murals and decorations adorn roundabouts
  • Sheikh Hamdan is shown a map of the route
    Sheikh Hamdan is shown a map of the route

Sheikh Hamdan opens Dh2 billion Dubai-Al Ain motorway


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A revamped motorway connecting Dubai and Al Ain opened on Sunday.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, said the Dh2 billion ($540 million) "megaproject" would benefit up to 1.5 million residents.

The road, which runs south towards the Oman border, features colourful murals and elaborate decorations on the roundabouts.

"Our goal is to turn Dubai into the world’s top city in urban planning," Sheikh Hamdan wrote on Twitter.

The widened road features more than a dozen lanes in some sections.

The Roads and Transport Authority said the project will "solve traffic snarls that used to extend about two kilometres".

“Dubai continues to advance the implementation of infrastructure development plans aimed at enhancing human welfare and catalysing sustainable economic growth," Sheikh Hamdan said in a press release.

"It is also part of our broader strategy to transform Dubai into the world’s best place to live, work and visit as well as strengthen our readiness to meet future needs in one of the fastest growing cities worldwide."

The Dubai-Al Ain Road Improvement Project spans 17 kilometres from the intersection of Emirates Road to the intersection of Ras Al Khor Road along the Dubai-Al Ain Road.

Construction works included widening the road from three to six lanes in each direction, and building six main interchanges along with bridges and ramps stretching 11.5 kilometres.

The new stretch serves 25 universities and colleges where a total of 27,500 students are enrolled. The improvements will double the intake of the road from 12,000 to 24,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.

It will also slash the travel time on the Dubai-Al Ain Road from the intersection of Ras Al Khor Road to the intersection of the Emirates Road from 16 minutes to eight minutes during peak time.

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Scores

New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs 

New Zealand win by 47 runs

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

Results

5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)

5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash

6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar

Updated: May 29, 2022, 10:55 AM