Abu Dhabi’s 10 biggest projects nearing completion

From a branch of the Louvre museum in Paris, a new airport terminal and a nuclear power plant, here are the 10 biggest projects under way in the emirate.

The Dh5.5bn sewage tunnel project is due to be completed later this year. Delores Johnson / The National
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ABU DHABI // Abu Dhabi has pushed ahead with a building programme that began before crude prices slumped in 2014. They include Louvre Abu Dhabi, a new airport terminal and a nuclear power plant.

Here are the 10 biggest projects under way in the emirate.

With a combined value of Dh134 billion they are expected to be completed by 2020, according to a list provided by the Government this month.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi

The Jean Nouvel-designed building is set for completion soon. The Dh15.35bn centre includes a children’s museum and a 260-seat auditorium.

Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island at night. Ravindranath K / The National

Barakah Nuclear Power Plant

The first nuclear plant will supply 25 per cent of the UAE’s electricity needs from May 2020, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation says. The Dh84.4bn project includes four reactors producing a combined 5,600 megawatts.

The Barakah site. Courtesy Wam

Sewage Tunnel

Abu Dhabi planning officials say the 41-kilometre sewage tunnel is among the world’s longest. With an additional 43km of smaller linking tunnels, the Dh5.5bn project is due to be completed this year.

E11 Highway

The new highway and road upgrade will link Abu Dhabi with the Saudi border through the industrial centre of Ruwais, the site of the UAE’s first nuclear plant. The project includes 15 flyovers and will cost Dh5.5bn.

Zayed City infrastructure

The Government says the road network, sewerage, lighting, electricity and water infrastructure for Zayed City, a new district in Abu Dhabi, is about 20 per cent complete. The Dh3.3bn project is expected to be finished by January 2020.

Midfield Terminal

At a cost of Dh19.1bn, Abu Dhabi’s new terminal will have 65 gates and will double the airport’s capacity to 45 million passengers a year. Built over six levels, it will include a hotel, shops and restaurants when it is finished in January 2019.

Midfield Terminal in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy ADAC

Jebel Hafeet Housing Development

At a cost of Dh5.5bn, the project near Al Ain includes homes for 3,000 people, including a school, a clinic and other facilities. It is due to be finished by the end of the year.

Al Ain New Hospital

The 719-bed hospital will have cost Dh4.4bn when completed in December 2018.

Al Ain New Hospital under construction. Courtesy Wam

Ain Al Faida Residential Development

Another residential project in Al Ain, the Dh4.18bn government project includes homes for 2,000 people and will be completed by the end of July.

Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City

The first hospital in Abu Dhabi to provide advanced treatment for burns, it will hold 739 beds when it opens at the end of January at a cost of Dh4bn.

* Bloomberg