Road network

When you arrive in the UAE, the extensive, expanding network of roads can be intimidating, but once you find your bearings things become easier. Signposting is generally good once you understand the system. Blue or green signs indicate the roads, exits or locations out of the city, and brown signs show heritage sites, places of interest and hospitals.

Finding your way

Abu Dhabi and Dubai's road networks are excellent, and most roads have at least three lanes. The new signage system relies more heavily on street names and compass directions, compared to the older system which featured local area names. If the signage gets confusing, remember that Abu Dhabi is south of Dubai and Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah are all north.

Abu Dhabi island is linked to the mainland by three bridges; each holds one of the three main roads into and out of the city. Al Maqtaa, Al Mussafah and Sheikh Zayed Bridges all lie at one end of the island, while following any sign for the corniche will lead you to the other end of the island. Road signs for the Sheikh Khalifa highway will direct you to the giant ringroad that joins Abu Dhabi's stretch of corniche with the E11 road north to Dubai or south toward Ruwais.

In Dubai, the main thoroughfare through the city is Sheikh Zayed Road, which runs from Sharjah, parallel to the sea, all the way to Abu Dhabi. Three bypass roads have been constructed inland towards the desert to ease the city’s congestion problems. All run parallel to the coast and Sheikh Zayed Road. The creek divides Bur Dubai (to the south) and Deira (to the north), and has five main crossing points: Shindagha Tunnel, Maktoum Bridge, Garhoud Bridge, Business Bay Bridge and the Floating Bridge. Within the city, the roads in older parts of town, such as Bur Dubai and Deira, are smaller and more congested, while the road networks in newer developments such as Downtown Dubai tend to accommodate greater traffic flow.