Dubai tunnels set for civic art shift

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and the Roads and Transport Authority have opened applications for artists, designers and architects to transform more than 40 road tunnels across the emirate into public art landmarks, widening the city’s effort to embed culture into everyday urban movement.

The Dubai Tunnels Initiative is inviting Emirati and UAE-based creative professionals to submit proposals from 11 May to 15 June 2026. The programme seeks original works that can turn high-traffic infrastructure into durable visual landmarks while reflecting Dubai’s identity, heritage, diversity and forward-looking urban character.

The project sits within Dubai Culture’s Public Art Strategy and aligns with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which places stronger emphasis on liveability, human-centred planning and the use of public spaces as social and cultural assets. The initiative also extends RTA’s role beyond mobility management into the shaping of civic experience, as tunnels used by motorists and pedestrians are recast as part of the city’s cultural landscape.

Applicants are expected to propose works suited to tunnel environments, where viewers may be moving at speed and where visual clarity is essential. Submissions must therefore avoid text-heavy concepts and distracting visual clutter, with organisers favouring simple, bold compositions, carefully controlled colour schemes and materials capable of withstanding Dubai’s heat, humidity and weather fluctuations. Ceramic tile systems are being encouraged because of their durability, colour retention and ease of long-term maintenance.

Each proposal must include a concept statement explaining the artistic vision, presentation boards showing the proposed design and palette, and an implementation plan covering safety, security, maintenance and protection of the artwork. The requirement for works to be newly created and not previously exhibited is intended to ensure that the tunnels become sites for fresh public commissions rather than repurposed studio projects.

A specialist curatorial panel will review submissions, assessing creativity, relevance to Dubai’s character, technical feasibility and sustainability. The process gives particular weight to artists and teams with demonstrated experience in delivering public art or large-scale projects, a factor likely to be important in an environment where artworks must meet operational standards linked to roads, visibility, installation methods and public safety.

The initiative reflects a broader shift in Dubai’s cultural planning, where public art is increasingly being placed outside traditional galleries and museums. Over the past few years, installations, murals and sculptures have appeared across historic districts, parks, libraries, waterfront spaces and cultural neighbourhoods, including Al Shindagha, Hatta, Jumeirah, Nad Al Sheba and Al Hudaiba. The tunnel programme moves that approach into functional transport infrastructure, bringing creative expression into routes that form part of daily commutes.

Dubai Culture has positioned public art as a way to strengthen the emirate’s creative economy, support local and resident artists, and make cultural encounters more accessible. The authority has worked with arts organisations including Art Dubai, Tashkeel, Alserkal Arts Foundation and Art Jameel on commissions that connect contemporary practice with heritage, architecture and public space. The tunnel initiative widens that network by creating a new category of urban canvas with high visibility.

For RTA, the project coincides with a period of heavy investment in transport and road infrastructure. Dubai’s mobility network is expanding through new corridors, bridges, tunnels, cycling routes, public transport upgrades and smart mobility systems designed to serve a population projected to reach 8 million by 2040. Embedding art into such infrastructure gives the city an opportunity to soften utilitarian spaces while reinforcing its image as a global urban centre.

The challenge will be balancing artistic ambition with operational constraints. Tunnel art must remain legible without compromising driver attention, must be resistant to dust and temperature stress, and must be maintainable without frequent disruption to traffic. These limits may shape the final works toward strong geometry, colour fields, abstract references to heritage, and designs that reward repeated viewing without becoming visually overwhelming.