Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) announced on Monday major development plans for Ruwais City, a 6.9-square kilometre community of 25,000 residents working in the adjacent Ruwais Industrial Complex in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region.
The project will see the city’s population nearly double, over the next 15 years, to more than 50,000 people, as well as the creation of thousands of new, specialised, highly skilled jobs in parallel to Adnoc’s investment in its downstream operations, according to an Adnoc press release issued on Monday. Dr Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Adnoc Group CEO, unveiled the new Ruwais city brand identity, “Where Opportunity Lives” in the presence of senior officials. The Ruwais City development plan complements Adnoc’s decision to invest Dh165 billion to develop the world’s largest integrated refining and petrochemicals complex in Ruwais, located 240 kilometres from Abu Dhabi.
To accommodate the immediate population growth, Adnoc is constructing more than 3,000 new residential units, bringing the total number of city housing units to more than 10,000 with more to be built as required. The city’s development will also include a number of projects focused on lifestyle, recreation and community, including new beach facilities, a central park, traditional souq, 18-hole golf course, cricket field, running track and cycling track, as well as the expansion of the public transport network, a range of community and civic centres and a number of health centres.
Ruwais City will be further supported by the expansion of a range of integrated government service centres, including Ruwais City’s first “Tamm” Centre, a one-stop-shop offering all government and related services. This will help residents to avoid travelling to Abu Dhabi for obtaining official government documents.
Dr Jaber said: “Our investment in the further development of Ruwais City is an investment in our people, our most important asset. It is not just about enhancing the city’s infrastructure; it is about improving residents’ quality of life as we continue to build a strong, sustainable community and create greater value for the benefit of the local economy, the region and the nation,” he said.
“The Dh165 billion investment in our downstream operations, over the next five years, will have a big ripple effect that will create new employment opportunities, establish new businesses and enable existing businesses to grow and prosper. The in-country value will also be significant as we expand our operations, introduce new high-value products and grow our downstream market share,” Al Jaber said.
Counted among Ruwais City’s community offerings are eight schools and universities, three pharmacies, three major markets, three travel agencies, four fitness clubs, two large parks, a major shopping mall and range of other commercial and civic centres.
The Ruwais City brand launch also includes a Brand Activation Stand, located within Ruwais City Mall, where residents and their families can learn about Adnoc’s downstream growth and city development plans.
Monday’s announcement follows Adnoc’s Downstream Investment Forum, held in May, where more than 40 global CEOs and over 700 senior industry leaders learnt about ADNOC’s plans to become a leading global downstream player. The unprecedented investment programme will underpin a new downstream strategy to significantly expand Adnoc’s refining and petrochemical operations at Ruwais and undertake highly targeted overseas investments to secure greater market access.
Through a combined programme of strategic partnerships and investment, Adnoc will increase its range and volume of high-value downstream products, secure better access to growth markets around the world and create a manufacturing ecosystem in Ruwais that will significantly stimulate in-country value creation, private sector growth and employment. The strategy is expected to add more than 15,000 jobs by 2025 and contribute an additional 1 per cent to GDP per year.
FIGURES
■ 25,000 — existing population of Ruwais city
■ 50,000 expected population after 15 years
■ 3,000 new residential units under construction
■ 10,000 total residential units upon construction
■ 15,000 new jobs by 2025
