The National - News

UAE LEADERS SAY FUTURE OF NATION WILL BE EVEN GREATER

▶ Three major new roads opened at cost of Dh1.9 billion to cut travel times and enhance safety

- CHRIS MAXWELL and JOHN DENNEHY

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, yesterday held talks with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

They discussed ways to accelerate the developmen­t of the Emirates, at Al Marmoom in Dubai. Sheikh Mohammed said the future of the nation is “greater and more beautiful” with the support of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. He praised Sheikh Mohamed for holding a vision for the UAE that has no limits.

“During my meeting today with my brother Mohamed bin Zayed in Al Marmoom we discussed a number of issues related to accelerati­ng developmen­t in our country,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote on Twitter.

Sheikh Mohamed said that the UAE, under the leadership of President Sheikh Khalifa, “is proceeding in constructi­on and developmen­t with confident and optimistic steps towards the future, in a manner that consolidat­es the success of its march and progress and preserves its gains”.

“We discussed our national achievemen­ts and the developmen­t of ambitious strategic plans in developmen­t and the economy,” he wrote on Twitter.

The high-level talks were attended by, among others, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidenti­al Affairs, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

The UAE yesterday opened three major new roads, built at a cost of Dh1.9 billion, to cut travel times, improve traffic flow and enhance safety. Sheikh Mohammed toured the projects

with Sheikh Mansour while aircraft from Al Forsan, the UAE Air Force’s aerobatic display team, soared overhead.

“Our mega projects aim to connect our cities and shorten distances across the country,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

“[They also] aim to strengthen the country’s status as a global model for sustainabl­e developmen­t and provide its people

with a quality of life that rivals the world’s best.” The first road is an extension of the E84 Sheikh Khalifa Road.

It now runs from the intersecti­on of the E84 with the E101 Sharjah-Kalba Road to the Mleiha area of Sharjah and ends at Al Shuwaib in Abu Dhabi. The 52-kilometre route has three lanes in each direction and is designed to handle speeds of

up to 140 kilometres an hour. The second is the E64 Al Watan Road, which connects Hatta to Masfout in Ajman before continuing to Wadi Al Qor in Ras Al Khaimah.

It also connects to the first route in Mleiha. The 42km road will reduce the distance between Al Madam Roundabout in Sharjah and Hatta, while reducing travel time by half an hour.

The third part of the project is the further developmen­t of the Dubai-Hatta road. The 18km stretch around Sharjah’s Al Madam now has three lanes in each direction rather than two.

Sheikh Mansour said infrastruc­ture projects were key to “opening new horizons for economic growth and developmen­t” and were a high priority for the UAE’s leadership.

 ?? Wam ?? Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, meets Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, in Dubai yesterday
Wam Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, meets Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, in Dubai yesterday

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