UAE opens longest tunnel in Middle East connecting Khor Fakkan with Sharjah

Sharjah ruler, Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad al-Qasimi, has set off the final explosive charge to inaugurate a new $1.5 bln tunnel connecting the UAE’s port city of Khor Fakkan with the city of Sharjah.

The 2.7 km tunnel is the longest covered tunnel in the Middle East. The road project is going to shorten the journey duration between both cities from 1.5 hours to 45 minutes.

Currently, the shortest travel time to Khor Fakkan from Sharjah as per Google maps is a 108 minute drive (135km), Khaleej Times reported. Visitors from Dubai would need nearly two hours to reach Khor Fakkan.

The tunnel is 7.3 meters wide with double lanes on both sides, with five tunnels in total on the Khor Fakkan road.

By-passing the Straits of Hormuz, a new $1.5 billion tunnel and road project completed its final stage of connectivity on Saturday 14 April, connecting the port city of Khor Fakkan at the east coast with Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

The 89 km road, which includes five tunnels, Al Sidra tunnel at 2.7km, Al Saqab tunnel at 1.4km, Al Rogh tunnel at 1.3km, Al Ghazeer tunnel at 0.9km, and Al Sahah tunnel at 0.3km, will bring the journey time from Sharjah to Khor Fakkan to just 45 minutes.