Dubai transport in 2026: The connections added so far

Dubai’s most useful new transport links this year solve different problems. Etihad Rail gives passengers a way to leave Dubai by national train and reach the station on foot from the Metro. New bus routes link places such as Al Khail Gate and Dubai Internet City Metro. On Al Qudra Road, bridge openings changed specific movements through two junctions. This review covers confirmed additions through 6 November 2026 and looks at what each one changes for a journey. Etihad Rail’s operating update · RTA’s July bus changes

January: More stops and a new morning option from Al Satwa

RTA’s 6 January notice gives 9 January as the effective date of its first set of changes. It introduced Route 88A as a one-direction service from Al Satwa Bus Station to Jumeirah 3 during the morning peak, to support Route 88. The direction and time are central to its usefulness. If you use 88A on the way to work, plan the journey home separately. A route introduced for a single peak movement does not give the same service in the other direction. Check the current timetable and the boarding stop before relying on the launch notice. RTA’s January launch and adjustments

The same update expanded F55 into more of the Dubai World Central cargo zone, adding two stops. Route 18 gained stops at Al Nahda Pond Park and MSB Private School on 7A Street. Those changes can matter even if you never take a new route number. Check the stop closest to the entrance or workplace you use, then compare the walk and departure on the date of travel. If your destination is in the airport cargo zone, use the actual address. A stop added to a cargo-area service has a different purpose from a passenger-terminal connection. RTA’s January stop changes · RTA journey planning instructions

July: Direct links to Silicon Oasis and Dubai Internet City Metro

RTA’s 17 July changes added Route 35 between International City and Dubai Silicon Oasis and Route 85 between Al Quoz’s Al Khail Gate and Dubai Internet City Metro Station. Route 35 is a link between two districts. Route 85 gives people in its catchment a bus leg to a Metro station. RTA gave peak headways of 30 and 20 minutes respectively at launch. For a trip now, look up the actual departures and confirm where your stop sits along the route. A published peak headway is neither a timetable for the whole day nor a promise about your wait at the stop. RTA’s July routes and launch headways

For an Al Khail Gate commute that continues by Metro, start with the time you need to reach the final destination. Use the planner to work out which bus departure gives you time to walk to the Metro platform and take the right train. If you were already using another bus to reach the Red Line, compare the full route, including the first walk and any wait at the change. The useful gain may be a simpler transfer even when the first bus leg is longer. RTA’s route and departure planner

February and August: Two movements through the Al Qudra junction

RTA opened the bridge for traffic from Al Qudra City towards Umm Suqeim in February. On 9 August, it opened the opposite bridge at the Al Qudra Road junction with Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street. That structure is 700 metres long and has four lanes for traffic towards Al Qudra City. The two opening dates reflect different directions at one junction. If you travel out in the morning and return later, look at each movement separately before assuming a turn or ramp follows the same path both ways. RTA’s August opening notice

The same RTA notice describes an earlier bridge at the separate junction with the road linking Arabian Ranches and Dubai Studio City. That is another connection on the corridor. For a trip that leaves Al Qudra Road to enter one of the neighbouring communities, check the turn you need at the relevant junction. A bridge that carries through traffic can help a different movement from the exit you use to reach home. RTA also identified later side ramp works in its announcement. The guide counts the two opened directions and avoids assigning a completion date to those later works without further confirmation.

March to September: New links through Oud Metha and Al Asayel

The Oud Metha and Al Asayel project opened in stages. In March, RTA inaugurated two bridges. One carries traffic from Al Asayel Street towards Al Wasl Club Street. The other serves the movement from Al Asayel towards Al Khail Road in the direction of Business Bay Crossing. They help drivers who enter the corridor from Al Asayel. If you are driving to Oud Metha from the other end, look for the route from your approach. The two March movements both start on the Al Asayel side of the project. RTA’s March bridge opening

On 26 July, RTA opened a three-lane bridge for traffic from Al Khail Road towards Al Asayel Street via Al Wasl Club Street. The July opening adds a connection for drivers approaching from Al Khail. If you go towards Business Bay Crossing in the morning and return via Al Khail later, the two trips use different bridges and road movements. The signs on the approach are more useful than a general reference to the Oud Metha project. RTA’s July opening and direction

In September, RTA reported completion of the wider project. It describes work at four major intersections, including bridges and tunnels. That is a later milestone than either of the individual bridge openings. For a visitor heading to a venue or hospital in the area, start with the entrance you need and plan the last turn from there. A through movement and a turn to a local destination can use different lanes even when both are covered by the same project announcement. RTA’s September completion announcement

September and October: National rail meets the Red Line

Etihad Rail added Dubai and Al Dhaid to its operating passenger network on 30 September, following the introductory Abu Dhabi–Fujairah service. In October, the operator confirmed that the 375-metre pedestrian bridge between Dubai Al Yalayis Station and Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro Station was open. The station opening added Dubai to the national rail itinerary. The bridge added a direct walk from the local Red Line to the national train station. For a resident near the Red Line, those are two distinct links that now work together. Etihad Rail’s launch review · Etihad Rail’s bridge opening

For an intercity trip, reserve the national train and work backwards from its departure time. Include the walk from the Metro platform and time to reach the train gate. At the other end, check the onward trip from the actual station. For example, Etihad Rail identifies its Abu Dhabi stop as Mohamed bin Zayed City and lists shuttle connections to selected destinations. Check the leg to your specific address. The bridge solves the Dubai station transfer, while the next connection depends on where you need to go. Etihad Rail reservation and boarding terms · Operating network and onward connections

July also changed some familiar bus connections

The July notice added 37A from International City to Dubai Silicon Oasis Lake and 37B in the opposite direction. RTA named the pair as options after discontinuing Route 367. If you previously used 367, check the actual stops on the new route rather than assuming the old boarding point still applies. Direction matters here because the new services have separate route labels. Check both legs before making the change part of a regular journey. RTA’s route replacement notice

RTA also rerouted Route 67 to Oud Metha Bus Station instead of Al Ghubaiba and changed Route 84 to end at InsuranceMarket Bus Stop on the south side instead of Mall of the Emirates. These changes are useful examples of why a route number alone is an incomplete plan. If someone gives you an old set of directions, re-enter the trip in the planner and check the final stop. A different terminal can affect how you reach the Metro or which side of the road you need to be on. RTA’s revised Route 67 and 84 terminals

August: Three neighbourhoods gained Bus on Demand

RTA confirmed that it added Al Satwa, Al Quoz and Mirdif to Dubai Bus on Demand on 5 August. Its current service guide lists all three and directs riders to the Dubai Bus on Demand app for the actual service area, pickup and availability. A neighbourhood name on the list is a starting point. Enter both addresses so you can see whether the app offers the trip between them. If you are continuing to a train or a regular bus, check whether the offered drop-off gives you enough time to reach the onward stop. RTA’s August service expansion · Current Bus on Demand service guide

The service is a shared ride you request in the app. RTA lists AED 5 for a standard trip within a zone and AED 7 for an eligible interzone trip, with separately listed exceptions and group pricing. Check the fare displayed for the pickup and drop-off. RTA says Bus on Demand fares are separate from the Dubai bus and Metro fare. For a resident comparing it with a regular feeder bus, look at the extra fare together with the walk, pickup estimate and time to connect. RTA’s booking and separate fare rules

October: A new exit direction at the Trade Centre

RTA confirmed that the last bridge in the Trade Centre Roundabout Development is open. The bridge serves traffic from Al Majlis Street towards 2nd December Street. If you are leaving the Trade Centre area in that direction, the project added a direct movement across the interchange. Other routes through the district still depend on which street you enter from and where you need to turn. The opening page identifies a one-kilometre bridge with two lanes and says the five-bridge project’s major works are complete. RTA’s opening confirmation and direction

How to compare the new connections

For a recurring trip, compare the new connection against your old route at the time you actually travel. A closer bus stop can remove part of the walk, while a rail bridge can remove the need for a separate road transfer. A new road movement helps when it serves the direction you need. Keep both routes in mind until you have checked the return trip as well as the outward one.

Check the current timetable or road signs before your next trip, especially if you last used the route before the changes.