Drivers in Dubai, take note: Sheikh Zayed Road will be closed tomorrow due to a bicycle event
It is recommended that drivers make ahead travel plans and choose other routes.
On Sunday morning, November 12, during the annual Dubai Ride cycling event, cars will not be permitted on a section of Sheikh Zayed Road in either direction from the Trade Centre roundabout to the Safa Park junction (2nd interchange). This is because cyclists will be taking over the famous highway in Dubai.
Lower Financial Center Street and Trade Center Street are both off-limits to vehicles. The length of the road closure has not yet been declared by the authorities, although last year it lasted five hours, from 4am to 9am. The Dubai Ride will begin at 6.15 am and last till 8.15 am.
Motorists are advised to plan their trips in advance and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has tweeted the alternative routes, including Al Hadiqa Street, Al Wasl Street, Al Khail Road, Al Meydan Street, Al Asayel Street, 2nd Zaa’beel Street, 2nd December Street, and Al Mustaqbal Street to reach their destination.
A premier event of the Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC), Dubai Ride was introduced in 2017 by Dubai's Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. It includes two cycling routes appropriate for riders of all skill levels that will see them pedal past Dubai’s renowned sites, including Museum of the Future, Dubai Water Canal, Burj Khalifa and other attractions on Sheikh Zayed Road and Downtown Dubai.
Last year’s Dubai Ride edition attracted participation from 34,897 cyclists.
The number of participants in Dubai Ride reached a record high in 2022. According to Ahmed Al Khaja, chief executive of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, one of the event's co-organizers, cyclists from the United Arab Emirates and beyond will be able to participate in the event for the fourth year running, helping to achieve the goal of a healthier, happier community and promoting Dubai as an excellent place to live, work, and visit.