Al Ruwaisis a town located some 240 kilometers west ofAbu Dhabicity in theWestern RegionofAbu Dhabi Emirate. The Ruwais industrial and housing complex has been developed byADNOCas a major contributor to the national economy and represents a series of multimillion-dollar investments by the company. Once a small fishing headland from which a handful of people scratched a seasonal living, Ruwais today is one of the most modern industrial complexes in theMiddle East.
In the 1970s, plans were laid to transform a remotedesertsite into a self-contained industrial town, geared to fulfilling the downstream requirements of Abu Dhabi's booming oil and gas industry. Centered on Takreer's Ruwais Refinery, the complex was officially inaugurated in 1982 bySheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late President of theUAEand Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and the visionary behind Abu Dhabi's remarkable development and prosperity.
Ruwais has also been developed into a model 'new town' with a population of several thousand. The Ruwais Housing Complex, covering an area of six square kilometers, is located 10 kilometers away from the industrial plants. The complex has its own shops, schools, banks,mosques, clinic and hospital, and a wide range of sporting and leisure amenities including a beach club and an 'in-house' TV station.
