By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 9 min read
Which events close roads in Dubai each year?
Dubai road closures for events are rare. Most events leave the main roads open, and a handful of recurring days do not. On those mornings or evenings, the RTA shuts stretches of Sheikh Zayed Road, Jumeirah Street or the streets around Burj Khalifa for several hours.
Closing a road for a public event takes an RTA permit, listed among its services as the Road Closure Permit for a Public Event. The plan then appears on the RTA’s channels shortly before the day. In late 2025 and early 2026 that was between one day and a week ahead.
The table shows the last edition of each event. The full year of shows, races and exhibitions is in our Dubai and UAE events calendar.
| Event | Last edition | Roads affected | Closure window | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Ride | Sunday 2 November 2025 | Sheikh Zayed Road from the Trade Centre Roundabout to Al Hadiqa Bridge, Lower Financial Centre Street, one side of the Boulevard | 3 am to 10 am | Not confirmed for 2026 |
| Dubai Run | Sunday 23 November 2025 | The same Sheikh Zayed Road stretch, plus one lane of Al Sukook Street | 3 am to 10 am | Not confirmed for 2026 |
| National Day parade | Tuesday 2 December 2025 | Jumeirah Street, Union House to Burj Al Arab | Delays 4 pm to 5.30 pm | 2 December 2026, plan not out |
| New Year’s Eve | Wednesday 31 December 2025 | Streets around Burj Khalifa, Al Sukook Street, Sheikh Zayed Road | From 4 pm, widening until 11 pm | Thursday 31 December 2026 |
| Dubai Marathon | Sunday 1 February 2026 | Abdullah Omran Taryam Street, parts of Jumeirah Street and King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street | From 1 am, one lane back from 8 am | Sunday 17 January 2027 |
| Burj2Burj Half Marathon | Sunday 8 February 2026 | DIFC to Umm Suqeim Park, on Financial Centre Street, Al Wasl Road and Jumeirah Street | 6.30 am to 10 am, one lane open | Not confirmed for 2027 |
Dubai Run: when does Sheikh Zayed Road close?
The Dubai Run is the Dubai Fitness Challenge’s mass run on Sheikh Zayed Road. The 2026 challenge, its 10th edition, runs from Saturday 31 October to Sunday 29 November. We could not confirm the 2026 Run date by 17 October 2026.
For the 2025 Run on Sunday 23 November, the RTA closed the following from 3 am to 10 am.
- Sheikh Zayed Road, between the Trade Centre Roundabout and Al Hadiqa Bridge
- Lower Financial Centre Street, between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road
- one direction of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard
- one lane of Al Sukook Street
- the parking areas that run alongside Sheikh Zayed Road
The RTA sent drivers to Upper Financial Centre Street, Zabeel Palace Road, Al Wasl Road and Al Khail Road instead. About 307,000 people took part in that seventh edition.
Both routes started at 6.30 am on Sheikh Zayed Road near the Museum of the Future. The 5 km looped through Downtown and finished near Dubai Mall. The 10 km crossed the canal bridge, turned back and finished near the DIFC Gate.
The Metro ran from 3 am that Sunday. Runners on the 5 km were pointed to World Trade Centre station, and 10 km runners to Emirates Towers. The published parking advice was Dubai World Trade Centre or Dubai Mall, then the Metro to the start.
Salik also switched to variable tolls for the day, with its higher morning rate from 6 am to 10 am. Our guide to Salik tolls explains how the gates charge.
Which roads close for the Dubai Ride?
The Dubai Ride closes almost the same stretch three weeks earlier. In 2025 it ran on Sunday 2 November, again from 3 am to 10 am.
- Sheikh Zayed Road, from the Trade Centre Roundabout to Al Hadiqa Bridge
- Lower Financial Centre Street, from Sheikh Zayed Road to Al Khail Road
- the one-way section of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard
The RTA’s alternatives were Upper Financial Centre Street, Zabeel Palace Road, Al Wasl Road, Al Khail Road and Al Asayel Street. Cyclists chose a 4 km family loop past Dubai Mall, Dubai Opera and Burj Khalifa, or a 12 km route from Dubai World Trade Centre to Safa Park. The Metro opened at 3 am.
Which roads close for the Dubai Marathon?
The marathon closes a different part of the city: Umm Suqeim, Al Sufouh and the beach road, not Sheikh Zayed Road. The next race is on Sunday 17 January 2027, according to the organiser.
The organiser’s route starts on Al Taryam Road near the Police Academy. It runs through Al Sufouh past Madinat Jumeirah, then loops twice along Jumeirah Beach Road past Burj Al Arab. It finishes in front of the Academy grandstand. The elite marathon is listed to start at 5.45 am and the mass marathon at 6.30 am. The 10 km follows at 8 am and the 4 km fun run at 10 am.
For the 2026 race on Sunday 1 February, the RTA closed two sets of roads.
- Abdullah Omran Taryam Street, between Umm Suqeim Street and Al Thowima Street, from 1 am
- parts of Jumeirah Street and King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, between the Al Mehemal Street and Dubai Internet City junctions, from 4.45 am
One lane reopened on both of those from 8 am. The organiser tells runners not to park on Jumeirah Beach Road or in Al Sufouh. It suggests Mall of the Emirates or Al Barsha instead, and sets the taxi drop-off and collection on Al Wasl Road. A chauffeur drop-off works the same way. Paid zones and car parks across the city are in our Dubai parking guide.
A week later, on Sunday 8 February 2026, the Burj2Burj Half Marathon ran from DIFC to Umm Suqeim Park between 6.30 am and 10 am. The RTA listed Al Bours Street, Al Mustaqbal Street, Financial Centre Street, Al Safa Road, Al Wasl Road, 2nd December Street and Jumeirah Street. One lane stayed open on each.
UAE National Day (Eid Al Etihad) traffic
National Day is 2 December, and the UAE Government portal lists the public holiday as 2 and 3 December. In 2025 the holiday fell on Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 December instead, according to the RTA’s service notice. In 2026, 2 December is a Wednesday.
National Day brings no Downtown-style shutdown. The slowdowns come from the parade and from celebration traffic. In 2025 the RTA warned of delays on Jumeirah Street between Union House and Burj Al Arab from 4 pm to 5.30 pm on 2 December. The Eid Al Etihad parade gathered at Dubai Maritime City at 3 pm, then moved along that stretch.
Dubai Police patrolled the main celebration roads in both halves of the city.
- in Bur Dubai: 2nd December Street, Jumeirah, Al Sufouh and JBR
- in Deira: Al Muraqqabat, Al Rigga, Al Mamzar, Al Rashidiya, Al Khaleej Street, Al Ittihad Street, Amman Street and University City
Its guidelines told passengers not to hang out of windows or sunroofs. Drivers were told to avoid colour changes, window tinting, unofficial stickers and noisy modifications. Al Rigga and Al Muraqqabat are close to DXB, so allow extra time for evening arrivals into Deira that night. Public parking was free on both 2025 holiday days, except multi-storey car parks and Al Khail Gate N-365. The holiday dates and the rest of the day’s events are in our Eid Al Etihad guide.
New Year’s Eve in Downtown Dubai
New Year’s Eve has the widest closure of the year. Dubai’s Event Security Committee published the 2025 plan on 26 December. Closures began at 4 pm and widened until 11 pm, across these roads.
- Al Asayel Street and Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard
- Burj Khalifa Street
- Lower and Upper Financial Centre Roads
- Al Mustaqbal Street and Al Sukook Street
- Sheikh Zayed Road
Emaar’s event guide says no vehicles enter Downtown once closures start. The committee counted about 20,000 parking spaces around Burj Khalifa and about 8,000 more at Metro stations.
By car, the answer is a drop-off before the closures and a pickup point outside them after midnight. Our New Year’s Eve chauffeur page sets out drop-off points, shuttle lots and waiting plans, and the New Year’s Eve road closures guide maps each closed street. New Year’s Eve 2026 falls on a Thursday.
How do closures affect trips to and from DXB?
DXB sits outside every closure zone above. The drive from it does not. Distances below are free-flow figures from OSRM on OpenStreetMap data, before any rush-hour delay.
| Closure day | Trips from DXB that are hit | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Ride or Dubai Run, 3 am to 10 am | Downtown, DIFC, Business Bay and the Marina via Sheikh Zayed Road | DXB to Dubai Marina is about 37 km and 42 minutes. The car takes Al Khail Road or Al Wasl Road, the RTA’s alternatives. |
| Dubai Marathon morning | Hotels in Umm Suqeim, Al Sufouh and along Jumeirah Beach Road | Sheikh Zayed Road was not on the 2026 list. The last stretch to a beach hotel is the slow part, until one lane reopens at 8 am. |
| National Day evening | Deira hotels near Al Rigga and Al Muraqqabat, and Jumeirah Street | Patrolled celebration roads and a parade from 4 pm to 5.30 pm |
| New Year’s Eve, from 4 pm | Any hotel inside Downtown | DXB to Burj Khalifa is about 18 km and 27 minutes, but no car enters once closures start. |
For an arrival, your chauffeur still waits in the arrivals hall with your name on a board. The route out is what we plan around. Details of each terminal are on our Dubai International pickup page, and the other six UAE airports are on our airport transfers page.
For a departure, the risk is a hotel inside the zone. On 31 December no car can come in to collect you once closures start. Book a Downtown pickup well before 4 pm, or walk out to a car waiting beyond the closed streets.
Where to check closures on the day
- RTA: closure plans go on X as @RTA_Dubai, and on the RTA’s Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp channels. The RTA posted its Dubai Run 2025 plan on X.
- RTA apps: the RTA’s official apps include RTA Dubai and S’hail.
- Salik: announces event-day toll changes itself, as it did for the 2025 Dubai Run.
- Dubai Media Office: carries the Event Security Committee’s New Year’s Eve plan, published in late December.
- Organisers: the Dubai Marathon posts its route maps at dubaimarathon.org, and Emaar posts Downtown entry rules for New Year’s Eve.
We check the same channels before an event-day booking. If a plan comes out after you book, we agree any change to the pickup time or point with you on WhatsApp.
Booking a car around a closure
- Send the date, the pickup address and where you are going. Add your flight number if the trip starts or ends at an airport.
- We check the drive against the RTA’s plan once it is out, and agree a drop-off and pickup point outside the closed roads.
- For a race or a celebration night, book the car by the hour, so it waits outside the zone. Our car with driver by the hour covers this.
Groups and celebration nights often call for a bigger or more formal car. Our limousine service lists the options, and chauffeur service across Dubai covers a full day. Cars for specific shows, races and exhibitions are on our events chauffeur page, and the Metro, taxi and chauffeur options for each venue are compared in a separate guide.
Photos in this guide
Towers along Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai rising behind the flyovers of a road interchangeFabio Achilli / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Dubai Run participants walking and stretching on a closed Sheikh Zayed Road, with Burj Khalifa in the distanceAhmed Al Habesh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A Dubai Metro viaduct running between the towers along Sheikh Zayed RoadFabio Achilli / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
The UAE flag on a tall flagpole above evening traffic on a Jumeirah road in Dubai at sunsetShahroozporia / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Fireworks cascading down Burj Khalifa at night in Downtown DubaiIyesthroughlens / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
