Dubai pedals towards a longer cycling grid

Dubai has added 13 new cycling tracks as the Roads and Transport Authority pushes ahead with a plan to turn the emirate into a far more connected cycling city, advancing a wider network that officials say is meant to reach 1,000 kilometres by 2030. The newly completed routes are part of a 15-track master plan spanning 162 kilometres and are intended to link residential districts, beaches, business areas and existing leisure corridors into a more integrated system.

The latest package marks another step in a transport strategy that is no longer treating cycling as a niche leisure activity on the city’s fringes. RTA said the new tracks connect existing routes from Al Khawaneej to Al Mamzar Beach, from Al Warqa’a to Saih Al Salam, and from Dubai International Financial Centre to Jumeirah, widening access for commuters as well as recreational riders. Coverage in local media also pointed to links in Al Barsha 2, Al Khawaneej 2 and Al Quoz, alongside improved connections to the metro network.

The figures underline how quickly Dubai’s cycling map has expanded over two decades. Official material from RTA shows the emirate had only 9 kilometres of cycling tracks in 2006. That has now grown to about 560 kilometres, with the long-term target set at 1,000 kilometres by the end of the decade. Officials present the expansion as part of a broader effort to reduce car dependence, improve first-and-last-mile mobility and encourage healthier travel habits in a city long shaped by road-based transport.

What distinguishes the present phase is the emphasis on integration rather than isolated stretches of asphalt. The RTA’s stated aim is to connect coastal routes such as Jumeirah, Al Sufouh and Marina to external corridors including Al Qudra, Seih Al Salam and Nad Al Sheba through inner-city areas such as Al Barsha and Dubai Hills. That matters because one of the long-running criticisms of cycling infrastructure in Gulf cities has been fragmentation: attractive tracks exist, but they do not always form a practical network for daily movement. Dubai’s latest buildout appears designed to answer that criticism by closing links between residential and commercial zones.

Safety and accessibility are central to that pitch. One of the related schemes delivered this year was a pedestrian and cycling bridge on Al Manara Street in Al Quoz, built to improve crossings and support smoother movement in a busy urban area. Another project announced this month under the broader Dubai Walk programme includes 5 kilometres of cycling tracks in Historic Al Ras, showing that the city’s active-mobility agenda is spreading beyond suburban recreation belts into denser and older districts.

The policy shift also reflects a wider recalibration in Dubai’s urban planning. Cycling is being folded into conversations about liveability, tourism, public health and climate adaptation. Leisure corridors such as Al Qudra helped build Dubai’s image as a destination for endurance riders and weekend cyclists, but the current language from officials is more urban and functional. The city is increasingly presenting bicycles and scooters as part of a transport mix that can complement metro stations, shorten local trips and reduce congestion in neighbourhoods where road demand keeps rising.

That ambition, however, comes with practical tests. Summer heat remains a structural constraint on year-round cycling uptake, especially for routine commuting. Urban form also matters: a network can be extensive on paper yet still fall short if end-of-trip facilities, shading, secure parking and safe junction design lag behind. Dubai has signalled that it is thinking more broadly about walkability and active travel, including major walkway projects and conceptual discussions around climate-responsive infrastructure, but the true measure will be whether everyday riders use these tracks for transport rather than only exercise.