A new Dh6 billion residential community called The Wadi has been announced for the Yas Canal area, bringing thousands of homes as well as a hotel, waterfront spaces and recreational facilities.
The development comes as Yas Island prepares for a major expansion over the next few years, including the arrival of Disney's first theme park and resort in the Middle East and Sphere Abu Dhabi.
The Wadi will feature 3,950 homes across a 140,700 square metre site, alongside commercial, leisure and sports facilities. Its design takes inspiration from the UAE's natural wadis, with an emphasis on landscaping, water and outdoor spaces.
Its location also puts residents close to Yas Island's growing collection of attractions, including Ferrari World, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld, as well as the future Disney resort and the Sphere.
Here is what we know about The Wadi.
What is The Wadi?
The Wadi is a mixed-use residential development from Cosmo Developments, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi-based Flag Holding Group and Reportage Group.
Reportage will oversee the development and delivery of the project as well as its long-term management.
Once complete, the community will have 3,950 homes, ranging from studios to one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Commercial, recreational and sports facilities are also planned, along with a hotel.
Where will The Wadi be?
The Wadi will be located along Yas Canal, an emerging waterfront residential area that includes housing developments and landscaped canal-side promenades.
According to the developers, it will be about five minutes by car from Zayed International Airport, nine minutes from Ferrari World Yas Island and about 23 minutes from central Abu Dhabi.
The location also puts the development within easy reach of the major new attractions coming to Yas Island.
What will it look like?
As its name suggests, the project takes inspiration from wadis and the movement of water through the UAE's valleys.
Conceived as a nature-led community, the development will reinterpret the natural features of a wadi within a contemporary residential setting.
Its canal-side location will also shape the project, with landscaped outdoor areas designed to connect the community with its waterfront surroundings.
What homes will be available?
The completed development will contain 3,950 homes, including studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
The project is expected to be delivered in phases. The first two residential buildings, E1 and E2, will contain a combined 530 apartments, according to project information released about the development.
E1 will have 383 homes across 10 floors, while E2 will have 147 across eight floors. The first phase is scheduled for handover in the fourth quarter of 2030.
What amenities will there be?
The wider master plan includes commercial, recreational and sports facilities, as well as a hotel.
The emphasis on nature will extend to outdoor and landscaped areas, while the waterfront location along Yas Canal is intended to form an important part of life within the community.
Details of further amenities are expected to be revealed as more phases of The Wadi are launched.
What else is coming to Yas Island?
The Wadi is being announced at a time of significant change for Yas Island, with two major attractions already confirmed for the coming years.
Disney announced in May 2025 that Abu Dhabi would become home to its seventh global theme park resort and its first in the Middle East.
The waterfront resort is being developed and built by Miral, while Walt Disney Imagineering will lead its creative design and operational oversight. Disney has said the resort will combine its characters, stories and attractions with elements inspired by Abu Dhabi's culture, coastline and architecture.
An opening date has not yet been announced.
Sphere Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, is expected to take shape more quickly.
The $1.7 billion venue, to be built between Yas Mall and SeaWorld, will be similar in scale to the Sphere in Las Vegas and will have a capacity of up to 20,000 people.
It will host concerts, residencies, immersive Sphere Experiences, sporting events, and other large-scale events. Its exterior Exosphere will also be used for large-scale art and visual displays.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2029.
Also arriving in 2029 is a major Harry Potter expansion at Warner Bros World Yas Island, which will increase the size of the indoor theme park by almost 50 per cent.
Spanning more than 63,000 square metres, the expansion will feature three themed lands based on Diagon Alley, Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest. It will be the first Harry Potter attraction in the Middle East and the only entirely indoor Harry Potter land in the world. Specific rides and experiences have yet to be revealed.
The projects form part of a longer-term expansion of Yas Island, with Miral mapping out a development pipeline stretching to 2040 that includes new rides, live entertainment, restaurants and retail.
