About Sheikh Zayed Road
Sheikh Zayed Road. The highway runs parallel to the coastline from Trade Centre Roundabout to the border with the emirate of Abu Dhabi, 55 kilometres (34 mi) away in the area of Jebel Ali.
The road was formerly known as Defence Road. Between 1993 and 1998, 30 kilometres (19 mi) of the road was expanded. Along with this improvement came a change in the name. Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai at the time, named the road after the then president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Sheikh Zayed Road is home to the most skyscrapers in Dubai, including the Emirates Towers and the Burj Khalifa. The highway also connects other new developments such as the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Dubai Waterfront.