The roundabout is gone, and five bridges remain.
If you last took a group to the Dubai World Trade Centre a year ago, the main junction has changed. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority says the final bridge of the World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project opened on Friday 30 October 2026, completing five bridges. Work on Al Mustaqbal Street, beside the venue, is still due in 2027. Here is what RTA says, what it does not say, and what it means for a planner of exhibition transfers.
What RTA says it built
In a release of 25 October 2026, RTA said the final bridge of the World Trade Centre Roundabout Development Project would open on Friday 30 October 2026. It is 1,000 m long with two lanes, designed for about 3,000 vehicles an hour, and carries traffic from Al Majlis Street towards 2nd December Street. RTA says the trip drops from 6 minutes to 1 minute, and the average delay at the intersection from 12 minutes to 90 seconds. Those are RTA’s figures for the junction. They are not our figures, and we do not promise any saving on your transfer.
RTA describes the whole project as five bridges and 5,000 m in total. The old roundabout is now a ground-level intersection that links Sheikh Zayed Road with Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street, Sheikh Rashid Street, 2nd December Street, Za’abeel Palace Street and Al Majlis Street.
Planning this trip? Tell us the date and group size for a fixed price.
Get a quoteThe five bridges
RTA lists them as follows: one 1 km second-level bridge from Sheikh Zayed Road to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street towards Deira; two bridges linking Sheikh Rashid Street and 2nd December Street; and two bridges linking Al Majlis Street and 2nd December Street. RTA says the project gives free-flowing traffic from 2nd December Street, in Jumeirah and Al Satwa, towards Al Majlis Street, which leads to Al Mustaqbal Street, the Trade Centre and DIFC.
A few earlier steps are on RTA’s news list. It opened a 500 m two-lane bridge from the Trade Centre and One Central towards Al Mustaqbal Street on 14 August 2026, and the release text for that one was not opened by us. It widened Sheikh Zayed Road near Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall Metro station by one lane over 2 km, from six to seven lanes, for traffic from Abu Dhabi heading to the Trade Centre intersection, in a release of 10 August 2026. And it converted the Al Satwa roundabout to a signalised junction, in a release of 14 October 2026.
What is still being built
RTA says the works on Al Mustaqbal Street are not finished and are due in 2027. They include three tunnels, 1.1 km in total, at the Trade Centre Street junction, a 400 m bridge from the Trade Centre towards Za’abeel Palace Street, and a widening from three to four lanes in each direction. The release gives two different journey-time figures for this street, one in which the trip falls from 13 to 6 minutes and another from 8 to 3.5 minutes. They conflict, so we print no minutes for it.
In practice, that means the area beside the venue is still a work zone, and what you see on the day may differ from what you read here. We found no RTA event-day plan for November 2026, no closure or diversion dates, and no coach drop-off, bay or waiting area at the Trade Centre on the pages we opened.
What it means for a transfer
The honest answer is that it is too early to say. RTA’s figures describe the junction, not a coach full of delegates, and a big exhibition day brings many vehicles to the same roads. We do not claim that the new bridges help on event days, that a group can “avoid the queue”, or that a transfer will be faster than a taxi.
What we do is plan the way you would plan any exhibition day. Use the longer drive estimate when a flight or a meeting is fixed, add a margin for the approach, and agree a drop-off and a collection point in writing. Our model, built on OpenStreetMap data with no traffic, gives about 18.9 km and about 31 minutes from Dubai Airport to the Trade Centre, and about 7.8 km and 13 minutes from the Trade Centre to Port Rashid. It was run before the last bridge opened, and the model cannot tell the difference, so treat it as approximate.
For the venue and general options, see our Dubai World Trade Centre event transport page. We have not rewritten that page for this junction, and this guide is a dated record of what changed.
What is on at the Trade Centre next
The next dates RTA and the organisers list are EV World 2026, an inaugural show organised by RTA, from 10 to 12 November 2026, from 10:00 to 18:00, and RailX Dubai 2027, also inaugural and RTA-organised, from 31 May to 2 June 2027. RTA names European countries and Japan among the rail systems it expects to draw on for RailX.
Other Trade Centre dates are on pages we already have. See Big 5 Global for 23 to 26 November, Intersec in January, WHX and GITEX for the venue pairing. We link and do not repeat them.
Choosing the vehicle
Delegations carry samples and brochures as well as suitcases. Our guide figures:
- Mercedes V-Class: up to 7 passengers and 6 bags.
- 13-seater HiAce: up to 13 passengers and about 10 suitcases.
- Mercedes Sprinter: up to 16 passengers and up to 12 suitcases.
- 30-seater mini coach and 50-seater coach for larger delegations.
Tell us the number of boxes when you ask for a quote, and we confirm what fits.
How a booked vehicle fits
- Send the plan. Dates, flights, hotel area, party size, the show and any large items.
- Ask for a fixed written quote. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
- Read the pick-up and drop-off arrangement. The quote states it, and we update it when the venue or organiser publishes its notices.
- Agree the return times. We plan the margin and tell you what is not yet published.
- Tell us if plans change. We adjust where we can, and cannot promise to beat traffic.
Keep reading
- DWTC event transport: Getting to Dubai World Trade Centre for a show: Metro, taxis, parking, and when a pre-booked shuttle for exhibitor crews and delegates is the better plan.
- Trade mission ground transport: Ground transport for a chamber or export delegation on a 3 to 5 day UAE mission: the day-by-day shape, one visit day on the clock, the Abu Dhabi day and host logistics.
- GITEX two venues in five days: GITEX Global 2026 starts at Dubai World Trade Centre on 7 December and moves to Expo City on 8 December. How the Metro, the organiser shuttle and a private vehicle handle the move.
- Dubai World Cup 2027 weekend transport for overseas fans: A ground-transport plan for racing fans from Japan, the USA, the UK and Australia for the Dubai World Cup weekend of 27 March 2027, from the airport to the last race.
- Big 5 Global 2026 transport: Big 5 Global runs 23 to 26 November 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre. Hours, the Metro, taxi and bus, parking, hotel-area drive times, and where a private vehicle fits.
- WHX Dubai 2027 transport guide: WHX Dubai 2027 runs at two venues, Expo City and the World Trade Centre. How the Red Line and the free venue shuttle work, and where a private vehicle fits.
Frequently asked.
Quick answers for this trip.
Is the World Trade Centre roundabout still there?
RTA says the roundabout is now a ground-level intersection, with five bridges linking the main roads around it. The final bridge opened on Friday 30 October 2026.
What does the final bridge do?
RTA says it is 1,000 m long with two lanes and carries traffic from Al Majlis Street towards 2nd December Street. RTA gives a drop in the trip from 6 minutes to 1 minute. Those are RTA’s figures for the junction, not a promise for a transfer.
Is the work around the Trade Centre finished?
No. RTA says the works on Al Mustaqbal Street, beside the venue, are due in 2027. They include three tunnels, a 400 m bridge and a widening from three to four lanes each way.
Will my transfer be faster now?
We cannot say. RTA’s figures describe the junction and not an event day, and a large exhibition brings many vehicles to the same roads. We promise no saving and plan with a margin.
Where does a coach stop at the Trade Centre?
We found no coach drop-off, bay or waiting area on the pages we opened on 30 October 2026. We agree a drop-off and a collection point with you, and we cannot promise a stop at an entrance.
What is on at the Trade Centre this winter?
EV World runs from 10 to 12 November 2026. Our other pages cover Big 5 Global, Intersec, AEEDC, WHX and GITEX. RailX Dubai follows from 31 May to 2 June 2027.
Can you collect us from the airport?
Yes. Tell us the flight and the date, and your written quote states the meeting arrangement for your terminal. Our model gives about 31 minutes from Dubai Airport to the Trade Centre with no traffic.
How do I get a price?
Ask for a fixed written quote through the booking form with the dates, flights, hotel area and party size. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
To the Trade Centre, with a planned margin.
Two questions now, a fixed price in your inbox shortly after.