Why your address in Dubai will never be same again: Emirate divided into 13 sections

With the introduction of the new addressing system, Dubai has been divided in 13 sectors, which are sub-divided into communities, the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) has revealed on its official Twitter page.

The addressing system will see 22,000 streets in Dubai renamed over the next five years, a step forward from the numeric street descriptions that have been in place.

Once the project has been completed, an address will be defined by a section name and a street name, explained Hussein al Banna, Director of RTA's Traffic Department.

So far, 430 streets have been renamed in six sections of Dubai, known to be Umm Suqeim 1, Umm Suqeim 2, Umm Suqeim 3, Al Sufouh 1, Al Sufouh 2, and Dubai Marina.

An additional aim of the addressing system is displaying less information on the signboards for easier reading while driving, explained Hussein.

An unclear signboard could easily distract the attention of the driver, and cause accidents.

However, road users are urged not to rely on street signage alone when going on a trip.

"If the public depends on the signboards without looking at the maps and trip routes before moving this could cause accidents," Hussein said.

To simplify directions, road users should know that northwards means towards the Northern emirates (Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah), while southwards leads to Abu Dhabi.

The mainland of Dubai is located eastwards, while the sea lies westwards.

A simplified addressing and route description system will make it easier to locate places for delivery or emergencies, argues the RTA

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.