Abu Dhabi's AED 872m Ramhan-Jubail link: the plant it needs
Abu Dhabi's DMT revealed an AED 872m link of 7 bridges and 3 tunnels from Ramhan and Jubail islands to the E12. What the job needs in cranes, piling and roads.
By Sufian7 min read
Abu Dhabi's Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) announced on 27 October an AED 872 million (about $237 million) road project connecting Ramhan Island and Jubail Island to the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Highway, the E12. The scope is seven bridges, three tunnels, and a network of ramps, roads and utility corridors spread over 166,000 square metres. DMT says advanced works are already under way, with the bridge network expected to open in the second quarter of 2027. That is a short programme for a lot of structure. Expect steady demand for piling rigs, heavy cranes, concrete pumps and road plant on the E12 corridor through 2027.
What DMT announced
The figures come from DMT's announcement, reported by The National on 27 October and by Gulf News and World Construction Network on 28 October. The project is intended to improve access and road capacity for the two islands and support the next stage of development on both. DMT also said the works will use energy-efficient LED lighting and recycle about 90% of construction waste, which it put at more than 2,200 tonnes.
Eng. Eisa Mubarak Almazrouei, DMT's director general of infrastructure development, described the project as "an important part of Abu Dhabi's evolving transportation network," according to Gulf News.
Some details have not been released. DMT has not named the contractor, given lengths for the individual bridges and tunnels, published lane counts, or said how far the "advanced works" have progressed. Any supplier hoping to bid for plant should start by finding out who the contractor is.
The demand behind the road is clear. The National reports that Ramhan Island, developed by Eagle Hills, covers 400 hectares and is planned for about 1,800 villas and 900 marina residences, plus a hotel and retail promenade, with construction under way. Jubail Island, developed by Lead Development, is a 4,000-hectare community surrounded by protected mangroves. Jubail already has an E12 connection: Gulf Contractors Company built its first highway interchange under an AED 86 million contract, and a 140-metre main bridge to the island was completed earlier. This new project is the second, much larger round of access.
Seven bridges and three tunnels: the plant list
DMT has not published construction methods, so the table below reflects how jobs of this type are usually built in Abu Dhabi, not a confirmed method statement.
| Element | Typical plant | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations | Bored piling rigs (Bauer BG, Soilmec SR class), service cranes, bentonite or polymer plant | Coastal ground and a high water table mean cased or supported bores |
| Bridge substructure and decks | 100-250 t mobile cranes, crawler cranes for heavy precast lifts, 36-52 m concrete pumps | Precast girders reduce time over live traffic; cast-in-situ needs falsework |
| Tunnels and underpasses | Excavators, long-reach units, secant or sheet piles, dewatering pumps | Likely cut-and-cover at an interchange; DMT has not confirmed |
| Roads and ramps | Motor graders, 10-12 t single-drum rollers, tandem and pneumatic rollers, pavers, cold planers for tie-ins | Asphalt tie-ins to the E12 usually done at night |
| Utility corridors | 20 t excavators, trench boxes, mini excavators near existing services | Coordination with existing island utility networks |
| Haulage | Tipper trucks, wheel loaders | Spoil out, aggregate and backfill in |
Cranes are the critical item. A site with seven bridges on a programme running to the second quarter of 2027 will often need several lifts in the same week, and the heaviest picks over a live highway are booked in short night closures. Missing one of those closures costs weeks. Contractors will want 100-ton mobile cranes and larger on firm monthly terms, with a named operator and lift planner, not a crane sent on the day from whichever yard has one free.
The waste figure is interesting. 2,200 tonnes is not much for a job this size. A single mobile jaw crusher could process that in a matter of days. That suggests DMT's number covers a specific waste stream, such as broken concrete and old asphalt from the tie-in works, rather than all excavated material. DMT has not broken it down. Even so, a 90% recycling target means crushing and screening on or near site, and an opening for anyone with a mobile crusher in Abu Dhabi.
Working beside the E12 and the mangroves
Two site conditions will affect how the work is done.
The first is traffic. The E12 is a main highway, and every bridge beam lifted over it or ramp joined to it needs a lane closure, traffic management and usually night working. That means truck-mounted attenuators, arrow boards and barrier systems, as well as operators willing to work night shifts for months. Plant suppliers who can provide traffic management alongside their machines will be in demand.
The second is the environment. Jubail Island's mangroves are protected, and Abu Dhabi enforces environmental controls near them. Haul routes, laydown areas, dewatering discharge and noisy work such as sheet piling will all be managed more tightly than on an inland site. Silent or low-vibration piling methods and pump discharge through settlement tanks are the kind of conditions that end up in contracts here. A supplier who already has them in the fleet has an edge.
The rest of Abu Dhabi's road pipeline this month
Ramhan-Jubail is not the only Abu Dhabi road job in the pipeline. On 11 October, DMT launched an upgrade in Mussafah covering about 13 km of the E30 and 8th Street: a new 8th Street highway with three lanes each way and service roads, upgrades to four E30 interchanges, changes to nine junctions, and two road bridges plus a pedestrian bridge to Mohamed Bin Zayed City, according to WAM. Khaleej Times reported that the corridor is designed for up to 4,000 vehicles an hour. No construction timeline has been published.
Further out, The National reported on 8 October that Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre (ADPIC) had signed an exploratory agreement with The Boring Company to study passenger and utility tunnels. It has no routes, costs or timeline, so it is not a near-term plant opportunity.
In Dubai, the final bridge of the AED 696 million World Trade Centre roundabout project opens on Friday 30 October, The National reported on 25 October. When a project that size finishes, its cranes, pavers and rollers come back onto the market. Some of that capacity will move to Abu Dhabi's new work, and to Dubai's own AED 3 billion stormwater programme, which we covered in our piece on the Tasreef phase 3 contracts.
| Size | Listings | Rent per day | Rent per week | Rent per month | To buy (used) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Cranes | 687 | AED 2,250 | AED 12,000 | AED 33,000 | AED 460,000 |
What to do if you supply plant in Abu Dhabi
Find out who the main contractor is, and get your crane, piling and road-plant offer to their plant manager before the structures programme reaches its peak. Price lifting with the operator and lift plan included, and quote night-shift rates up front instead of leaving them for the first invoice dispute. If you hold mobile crushers, low-vibration piling kit or traffic management units, lead with those. Few suppliers have all three. You can check current supply in the emirate through Abu Dhabi equipment rental, and if you are on the contractor side, post an inquiry to get crane and road-plant quotes from several owners at once.
Sources
- The National: Abu Dhabi announces Dh872 million project linking Ramhan and Jubail Islands to E12 motorway (27 October 2026)
- Gulf News: Abu Dhabi unveils AED872m project to link Ramhan and Jubail Islands to E12 (28 October 2026)
- World Construction Network: Abu Dhabi unveils $237m seven-bridge project linking Ramhan and Jubail (28 October 2026)
- Gulf News: Abu Dhabi's Jubail Island to get Dh86m highway interchange
- Middle East Construction News: JIIC announces completion of 140m main bridge to Jubail Island
- WAM: Department of Municipalities and Transport launches major Mussafah road upgrades (October 2026)
- Khaleej Times: Abu Dhabi's Mussafah to get new expressway, bridges
- The National: Musk's Boring Company to explore underground tunnel projects in Abu Dhabi (8 October 2026)
- The National: Final bridge at Dubai World Centre roundabout to open on Friday (25 October 2026)
