If you’re flying on Friday, you may want to rethink your travel plans. Dubai Airport Tunnel is to be cordoned off from midnight tonight and officially closed from 2am to 6am for a mock emergency drill.

Although the drill starts at 2am, the Dubai Airport Tunnel will be cordoned off from midnight in the direction of Qusais and Sharjah, with motorists advised to use Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Ittihad Road as an alternative route. Failing that, ditch the car and get the Dubai metro to the airport.

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The scenario has been organised by the Roads and Transport Authority’s (RTA) Crises Management Team, and will involve 11 government and semi-government bodies.

Dubai Metro train could be an option to get to the airport

Dubai Metro train could be an option to get to the airport

The entities involved include the National Emergency, Crises and Disaster Management Authority; Emergency, Crises and Disaster Management Team; Directorate General of Civil Defence; Dubai Police; Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services; Dubai Municipality; Dubai Electricity and Water Authority; Dubai Health Authority; Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; Emirates Airline and Dubai Airports.

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Talking about the drill’s scenario, Ahmed Hashem Bahroyzan, Head of Crises Management Team cum CEO of Licensing Agency, RTA said: “The drill would be executed on the assumption that two vehicles, one of them loaded with inflammable materials, have crashed in the tunnel resulting in a situation warranting rapid deployment of RTA’s Crises Management Team as well as an effective and direct intervention of the said 11 government and semi-government entities.”

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Bahroyzan added: “This drill forms part of a specific plan of RTA’s Crises Management Team, and complements the ongoing cooperation with other public and semi-public entities towards the implementation of uniform security and safety standards in sensitive infrastructures, facilities and districts as well as vital entities and service-providing entities in Dubai. The drill is also aimed to monitor the responsiveness and efficiency of stakeholders in discharging the tasks entrusted to them.”

Image: Getty