• A new 11km bridge that connects Al Reem Island, Umm Yifeenah Island and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street has been opened. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    A new 11km bridge that connects Al Reem Island, Umm Yifeenah Island and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street has been opened. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • The bridge was inaugurated by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, a member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, on Thursday. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office
    The bridge was inaugurated by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, a member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, on Thursday. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office
  • The project has seven bridges, including two that run over water for 3.8km. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office
    The project has seven bridges, including two that run over water for 3.8km. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office
  • Sheikh Khaled and other sheikhs and officials at the inauguration. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office
    Sheikh Khaled and other sheikhs and officials at the inauguration. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office
  • The six-lane highway also has paths for pedestrians and cyclists. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The six-lane highway also has paths for pedestrians and cyclists. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • The six-lane highway can accommodate 6,000 vehicles an hour in each direction. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The six-lane highway can accommodate 6,000 vehicles an hour in each direction. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • The arched causeway maintains navigation channels for boats and allows fish and other marine animals to pass freely. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The arched causeway maintains navigation channels for boats and allows fish and other marine animals to pass freely. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Abu Dhabi connects islands with 11km bridge


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A 11km bridge project that connects Al Reem Island, Umm Yifenah Island and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street in Abu Dhabi opened to traffic on Thursday.

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, a member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, opened the bridge, said Abu Dhabi Media Office.

The project has seven bridges, including two that run over water for 3.8km. The six-lane highway, built by Aldar in partnership with the Department of Municipalities and Transport, can accommodate 6,000 vehicles an hour in each direction.

It also includes pedestrian and cycle paths.

New bridge connects Al Reem Island, Umm Yifenah Island and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street in Abu Dhabi
New bridge connects Al Reem Island, Umm Yifenah Island and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street in Abu Dhabi

To preserve the natural environment in the area surrounding the project, the developers used precast concrete elements and arch-shaped causeways to ensure water flow and minimise adverse impact on mangrove wetlands, said officials.

The arched causeway also maintains navigation channels for boats and allows fish and other marine animals to pass freely. Mangrove trees were also planted on nearby Jubail Island.

Aldar sourced 85 per cent of materials locally, as part of its commitment to adding value to the local economy.

The bridge is the first phase of the Mid Island Parkway project that is currently under design. It will ultimately link Al Reem Island and Saadiyat Island, Al Raha Beach and Khalifa City.

This network is planned for completion by 2028 and is designed to include cycle tracks and walking trails and incorporate sustainable landscapes.

Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport; Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and chairman of Aldar; Saif Saeed Ghobash, secretary general of the Executive Council; and Talal Al Dhiyebi, group chief executive of Aldar, were also present at the opening ceremony.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

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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

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Based: Dubai, UAE

Number of employees: 10

Sector: AI, software

Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million  

Funding stage: Series A

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Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

Updated: February 10, 2023, 4:07 PM