Abu Dhabi’s new underwater road will cut Saadiyat to Reem journeys to 10 minutes
If you drive regularly between Saadiyat, Reem Island and Abu Dhabi Island, there’s a new underwater road that could save you quite a bit of time. The first phase of Abu Dhabi’s Mid-Island Parkway is due to be completed in 2027, creating a new connection between Saadiyat Island and Umm Yifeenah Island. Once it opens, you could see your journey to Reem Island or Abu Dhabi’s main island drop from around 25 minutes to just 10.
The wider Mid-Island Parkway will stretch across several islands towards Al Raha Beach and Khalifa City, with new walking and cycling tracks, marine bridges and underwater sections along the way.
The new road will connect Saadiyat and Umm Yifeenah Island
The first phase includes an eight-lane dual carriageway linking the existing northern Saadiyat interchange on the E12 with the southern end of Saadiyat Island, before continuing across to Umm Yifeenah Island.
If you spend time around Saadiyat Lagoons, Saadiyat Marina District or NYU Abu Dhabi, you’ll already know the road network here has been expanding. This new connection will add another route off the island and make getting towards Reem and Abu Dhabi Island considerably quicker. Around two kilometres of the new road is being built on reclaimed land, with 150,000 square metres of protective rock helping to prevent erosion.
Part of the route will run underwater
This is probably the most interesting part of the project. The remaining 1.5 kilometres of Phase One include an underground channel, with a 600-metre section running 11 metres below the water beneath Khor Laffan.
Engineers are using precast concrete roof panels for this section, with the panels made off site before being brought in for construction. So, while you’ll simply drive through the finished road, quite a bit is happening underneath the water to make that connection possible.
You’ll also get a longer walking and cycling route
If you prefer getting around on two wheels, the project has something for you, too. Four kilometres of new walking and cycling tracks are being added as part of Phase One, which will connect with existing routes to create a continuous 12-kilometre path across Saadiyat Island and onto Umm Yifeenah Island.
You’ll also find 23,000 linear metres of smart, energy-saving lighting, along with native, drought-resistant landscaping and a 14,000-metre irrigation system.
Phase Two will take the route much further
Once you’ve seen where Phase One is going, the scale of the wider project becomes clearer. Phase Two will stretch 14.5 kilometres from Umm Yifeenah Island through Bilrimaid and Samaliyah Islands towards Sas Al Nakhl, Al Raha Beach and Khalifa City.
The route will have four lanes in each direction and is expected to bring travel times across the mid-island corridor down to around seven minutes. You’ll also see more walking and cycling tracks, marine bridges, elevated flyovers and another underwater road tunnel.
The underwater crossing is being planned to limit disruption to nearby mangroves, salt marshes and coastal sabkha habitats, while keeping natural water channels open.
Once the full Mid-Island Parkway is operational, you could get between Saadiyat Island and Zayed City in just under 15 minutes.
There’s another major road project in the works
The Mid-Island Parkway wasn’t the only road project DMT showcased at LIVEX 2026. There are also plans for a 37-kilometre coastal route connecting Al Hudayriyat Island to the E11 at Al Nouf.
The three-lane-each-way expressway will include a tunnel, seven kilometres of marine bridges and four kilometres of causeways. It will connect Al Dhafra with Al Hudayriyat Island and Abu Dhabi Island via Halat Al Bahrani, Al Futaisi and Al Aryam Islands.
The main benefit will be another way around central city traffic. The route will also carry commercial freight, while animal crossings and environmental measures are planned around the Bul Syayeef Marine Protected Area and Ramsar wetland.
For now, though, the Mid-Island Parkway is the one to watch. Phase One is due to be completed in 2027, and when it opens, that 25-minute journey between Saadiyat and the rest of the city could be closer to 10 minutes.
