New 80km highway promises faster commutes for UAE residents

For residents who commute between Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the promise of a new 80km highway could change daily life in very practical terms. The newly announced Fourth Corridor, linking the three emirates, is expected to cut journey times on parts of the route by more than half, with one section reducing a 35-minute drive to just 14 minutes. That improvement in accessibility is now drawing attention well beyond the road itself, as property developers assess what better connectivity could mean for where people choose to live and work.

The corridor connects to the Dubai-Al Ain Road and supports access to areas around Al Maktoum International Airport. It also links major growth drivers such as the airport and Etihad Rail, placing it at the centre of the country’s expanding transport network. For the growing number of residents across the UAE, driven by an inflow of new arrivals and a rising population of citizens, the route could open up locations that were previously considered less convenient.

Kalpesh Kinariwala, chairman of Pantheon, said infrastructure is central to how the company views real estate because connectivity shapes where people live, work and invest. “The biggest impact of infrastructure like the Fourth Corridor is that it changes the accessibility and, therefore, the potential of an area,” he said. He added that significantly shorter journey times between the three emirates would open up areas along and around the route.

Better connectivity tends to translate into higher demand, Kinariwala noted, as people become willing to live or work in places they once avoided. That, in turn, could support rental growth as communities mature and amenities, employment and services develop around them. He cautioned, however, that infrastructure alone does not determine rental levels; the quality of a development, supply, amenities and the depth of demand also matter. For developers, he said, the opportunity lies in identifying emerging growth corridors early and creating communities positioned to benefit from the connectivity they bring.

Meanwhile, Pantheon’s chairman said the company would continue to look beyond established locations as Dubai expands eastward and southward. “We will continue to evaluate opportunities where improved connectivity can support sustainable residential and mixed-use development,” he said. He made the remarks while unveiling the next chapter of the company’s cultural vision through Hop Events, setting out a roadmap to build one of the region’s most community-focused cultural platforms.

Other developers are already acting on the corridor’s potential. Andrea Nucera, group managing director of Reportage Group, said the company has acquired a site in Abu Dhabi near the corridor’s route. The plot covers almost 750,000 square metres, with about 3,800 units in the design phase, and the project would most probably come to market in 2027 or 2028, according to Nucera.

Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the Verso and Époque projects in Meydan, Nucera said the property market had changed completely over the past 18 months. At the height of the boom, he said, developers could launch almost anything and see strong demand. “We came back to a normal reality,” he said, adding that sales speeds in the UAE remain exceptional compared with other countries where he has worked. He said the company had not changed its philosophy and that its offering and prices remained in line with an approach built around helping customers make money.

Developers say the road will make previously less convenient locations more attractive to residents, businesses and investors, and will support new residential and commercial communities along its route. For ordinary residents weighing where to live in a country where demand for housing continues to rise, the Fourth Corridor may prove to be one of the more consequential infrastructure projects of the coming years.