Abu Dhabi will be developing 12 new community markets with retail and sports facilities to boost the existing infrastructure in the emirate. Victor Besa / The National.
Abu Dhabi will be developing 12 new community markets with retail and sports facilities to boost the existing infrastructure in the emirate. Victor Besa / The National.
Abu Dhabi will be developing 12 new community markets with retail and sports facilities to boost the existing infrastructure in the emirate. Victor Besa / The National.
Abu Dhabi will be developing 12 new community markets with retail and sports facilities to boost the existing infrastructure in the emirate. Victor Besa / The National.

Abu Dhabi partners with private sector to develop 12 projects


Fareed Rahman
  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi plans to develop 12 new community markets with retail and sports facilities to further expand the existing infrastructure in the emirate and offer new investment opportunities for the private sector.

The new markets will be developed through Musataha agreements, which will allow private sector investors to design, build and operate an asset on land owned by the government for a stipulated, long-term period, Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio) said on Thursday.

“Musataha agreements are an important part of Abu Dhabi’s ambitious model to effectively engage the private sector to deliver key infrastructure and services,” Tariq Bin Hendi, director general of Adio, said. “The long-term nature of Musataha projects offer investors certainty in planning and decision-making from inception through to completion.”

Adio and the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) have awarded three tenders so far to private companies to develop community markets in Khalifa City, Shakhbout City and Mohammed Bin Zayed City. The remaining tenders are expected to be launched this month and the whole process is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022, according to Adio.

Last year, Abu Dhabi issued new public-private partnership (PPP) procurement regulations to boost collaboration between the private and public sector entities and attract more investment into the emirate.

The regulations followed the Abu Dhabi government’s announcement to issue tenders worth Dh10 billion ($2.72bn) under the PPP model in infrastructure partnership projects including education, transport and municipal works. The initiative was launched as part of Dh50bn Ghadan 21 accelerators programme to boost Abu Dhabi’s economy.

"Enabling sustainable economic growth by supporting public-private partnerships is essential for ongoing development, and joining forces to provide more platforms and opportunities that will attract investors will be a key pillar to achieving that,” Abdullah Al Sahi, undersecretary of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, said.

Adio and DMT have also invited companies that are 100 per cent owned by the UAE nationals to participate in two tenders to develop new community markets near the Yas-Saadiyat highway and in Al Aamerah in Al Ain.

Abu Dhabi's economy is expected to grow between 6 per cent and 8 per cent over the next two years, driven by government spending, financial services and foreign direct investment, Mohammed Al Shorafa, chairman of the emirate's Department of Economic Development, said earlier this year.

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Most match wins on clay

Guillermo Vilas - 659

Manuel Orantes - 501

Thomas Muster - 422

Rafael Nadal - 399 *

Jose Higueras - 378

Eddie Dibbs - 370

Ilie Nastase - 338

Carlos Moya - 337

Ivan Lendl - 329

Andres Gomez - 322

The biog

Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents

Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University

As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families

Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too

If you go...

Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.

Reputation

Taylor Swift

(Big Machine Records)

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate 

MATCH INFO

Argentina 47 (Tries: Sanchez, Tuculet (2), Mallia (2), De La Fuente, Bertranou; Cons: Sanchez 5, Urdapilleta)

United States 17 (Tries: Scully (2), Lasike; Cons: MacGinty)

RESULTS

6.30pm: Meydan Sprint Group 2 US$175,000 1,000m
Winner: Ertijaal, Jim Crowley (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)

7.05pm: Handicap $60,000 1,400m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

7.40pm: Handicap $160,000 1,400m
Winner: Raven’s Corner, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

8.15pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group 3 $200,000 2,000m
Winner: Folkswood, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

8.50pm: Zabeel Mile Group 2 $250,000 1,600m
Winner: Janoobi, Jim Crowley, Mike de Kock

9.25pm: Handicap $125,000 1,600m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

The specs

Engine 60kwh FWD

Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry

Power 204hp Torque 360Nm

Price, base / as tested Dh174,500 

Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

Updated: July 08, 2021, 2:40 PM