Dubai’s car-free Superblock plan: Al Karama, Al Fahidi, Abu Hail and Al Quoz

Dubai was built around the car: wide highways, a car park under every building, and summer heat in which nobody walks. The Superblock initiative is an attempt to reverse that in a few neighbourhoods. Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan announced it at an Executive Council meeting in early February 2025, saying the aim was to create car-free, pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods. Eighteen months later, here is what is known and what to expect.

What a superblock is

The idea comes from Barcelona. Several blocks are grouped into one “superblock”, through traffic is pushed to the perimeter, and the inner streets are handed to pedestrians, cyclists, trees and shared public space. Residents keep their cars but park them outside. Descriptions of the Dubai project mention park-and-ride sites, off-site parking and a network of electric shuttles.

The first four areas are:

• Al Karama, a dense residential and shopping district known for cheap restaurants and markets;
• Al Fahidi, the historic quarter of Bur Dubai with its museums and galleries;
• Abu Hail, an older residential area of Deira;
• Al Quoz Creative Zone, the galleries and workshops of Al Quoz.

The project is tied to the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and the D33 social agenda. As of September 2026 there is no public timetable, budget or street-level design. It is a framework decision, not a construction programme.

How it fits other programmes

Superblock is part of a broader push towards a walkable Dubai. The RTA’s soft-mobility programme has already added cycle lanes, crossings and shade in Al Karama, Al Mankhool, Al Barsha and other older districts, and the Dubai Walk strategy promises thousands of kilometres of pedestrian routes by 2040, which we cover in Dubai Walk: 6,000 km of routes and 110 bridges. The 20-minute-city concept, with daily needs within 20 minutes on foot or by bike, is being piloted in Al Barsha 2.

What it means for property

All four areas are old Dubai, with very little new-build stock for foreign buyers and little freehold. There is not much to buy “for the Superblock”. The effect will be indirect:

• Rentals in the old city. Al Karama and Bur Dubai are the mass rental market we describe in our Deira and Bur Dubai profile. Greener, quieter streets could lift demand, but parking by the door will become more expensive or further away.
• Demand for walkable places. If the pilots succeed, the principle will move into new masterplans. Developers already sell “car-free” podiums and courtyards; check what sits behind the brochure wording.
• Al Quoz. The only one of the four where land use is visibly changing, as we describe in our Al Quoz profile.

In practical terms: until street plans are approved, do not pay extra for a “future pedestrian quarter”, and do not worry that the road outside will close tomorrow. Schemes like this are phased in, with consultation.

If you are interested in the fastest-changing district on this list, start with our Al Quoz guide: what is being built, what foreign buyers can own and how Superblock could shape it.