Sharjah's Department of Public Works (SDPW) has confirmed that the first phase of the Midline drainage network will be completed by the end of 2026, with the full system operational in the first half of next year. One of the largest stormwater infrastructure projects in the UAE, the scheme is valued at AED 500 million (approximately USD 136 million) and covers 4,000 hectares of the emirate.
The network deploys an integrated engineering system stretching across considerable distances underground, with its primary function being to prevent flooding, protect traffic corridors and preserve everyday urban life, critical objectives as the region faces increasingly unpredictable rainfall patterns linked to climate change.
The project is structured around three interconnected zones. The backbone is a 16 km transmission and secondary network built using micro-tunnelling at depths reaching 20 metres, channelling water toward the sea via gravity flow. Two major pumping stations anchor the second zone: Al Ghubayba, with a throughput capacity of 6.2 cubic metres per second, and Al Sour, handling 5.7 cubic metres per second, together serving dozens of residential and commercial districts across the city. The third zone encompasses marine outfalls and 55 inspection chambers, up to 12 metres in diameter, designed for long-term operational safety and maintenance access.
Of the total tunnelling works, 15 km rely on trenchless micro-tunnelling techniques against just 800 metres of open excavation, dramatically limiting surface disruption. Some 5,267 GRP pipes, each carrying a design life of over 50 years, have been installed throughout the network.
The first phase covers areas including Al Mahatta, Al Yarmook and Abu Shaghara Tunnel, while the second will extend the network to further districts and major arterial roads including King Faisal, Al Wahda and Wasit.
