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Shk Zayed Road

The Shk Zayed Road is a highway that stretches between two cities and runs parallel to the Persian Gulf. Starting from Abu Dhabi, it ends in Ras Al Khaimah and is considered as the main link between the various cities. It does not have a single name, but rather multiple names for the multiple cities that it reaches out to. It is known as Sheikh Maktoum Road in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai and Sheik Muhammed bin Saleem Road in Ras Al Khaiman.

The idea of constructing a highway was first proposed by representatives of Abu Dhabi to Sheikh Zayed, and in 1971, the construction was started. It was completed 9 years later and in 1980, it was officially brought to use. The Shk Zayed Road has around 27 petrol stations up to date and is considered as one of the busiest as well as one of the most commonly used roads in the United Arab Emirates. There are state of the art radar systems installed to control speed limit of up to 120km/h.

Also known as the E 11 road in Dubai, the road connects the Trade Center Roundabout to the emirate of Abu Dhabi and is also parallel to the coastline. Some of Dubai’s globally famous sky scrapers such as the Emirates Towers and the Burj Khalifa are located on this magnificent road. Within the 30 years of its inception, the road has undergone numerous improvements and has also been renamed a number of times. The road also connects other major centers such as the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and the Dubai Waterfront.

Early History

Prior to the construction of the road, vehicles traveled amidst heavy sand dunes and there were no roads to connect Abu Dhabi with Dubai. The vehicles also risked getting lost if there was no proper guide. They had to follow sand tracks left by cars that had passed by. With the construction of the road, it became relatively easy to travel from Abu Dhabi to Dubai and there were also no more smuggling cases as was rampant when the road did not exist. The Shk Zayed Road has become a blessing for the thousands of travelers who needed an effective route to take them to various destinations. Now 30 years down the lane, the road is modernized with buildings and other important landmarks situated at an easy location for travelers to come and go to their work place without any difficulty. Sand and dust was replaced with a unique highway and urban sky scrapers. Dubai has surely progressed at a rapid pace.

March 2008 Accident

The road has also been known to have witnessed some horrendous accidents in 2008 that had around 200 cars involved and is considered to be one of the most tragic accidents ever witnessed in the UAE. The accident was said to have been caused because of high speed limits along with fog and poor visibility. The road was chaotic with cars going aflame as they banged into each other. It had taken a great deal of effort for ambulances and rescue services to reach the injured.

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