Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre (ADPIC) has confirmed that it is overseeing more than 500 capital projects across a broader programme value of $200 billion. 

This was revealed during a panel discussion at the second edition of the Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit (ADIS), running at the International Convention Centre (ICC), ADNEC.

It was also revealed that ADPIC advanced approximately AED32 billion ($8.71 billion) in public-private partnership opportunities last year, with more than 40,000 homes set for delivery by 2029 as part of a broader effort to strengthen communities and raise living standards across the emirate.

The summit is setting an ambitious agenda for city-scale transformation under the theme 'Urban Evolution: Rethinking Cities, Redefining How We Live.' The opening day welcomed more than 6,000 attendees and saw ADPIC sign 10 memoranda of understanding across governance, delivery, and partnership tracks.

Two consecutive panels examined how Abu Dhabi is meeting the infrastructure demands of rapid growth. ‘Building at Pace: Planning with Purpose, Delivering for Impact’ brought together Carlos Wakim, CEO of Bloom Holding, and Adel Albreiki, CEO of Aldar Projects; Mounir Haidar, Co-Founder of LEAD Development; and Francis Alfred, Managing Director of Sobha Realty, in a session moderated by Mustafa Al Rawi, Director of Strategic Communications at the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development. 

The discussion examined how modular and offsite manufacturing techniques are compressing delivery timelines, with Sobha Realty confirming an AED3 billion investment in construction innovation and offsite factories over the next three years. 

Bloom Holding made the case for separating technical infrastructure from social infrastructure, pointing to Bloom Living's 4,200 homes as a model of integrated community design that prioritises walkability, safety, and gathering spaces. LEAD Development framed infrastructure as the backbone of place-making, citing Jubail Island's 40 million sq m of land, 25 million of which is protected mangrove. Aldar pointed to its use of AI agents for design and supply chain scrutiny, drawing on 50 million data points from previous projects, as part of how technology is reshaping delivery.

'Innovation in Construction: Bridging the Gap Between Demand and Delivery' featured Mohamed Al Hosani, Executive Director - Capital Projects Operations at ADPIC; Eng Ahmed Al Shamsi, Group CEO of Trojan Construction Group; Abdulaziz A Bawazeer, CEO of Sdeira Group; Firas Al Sayegh, Chief Development Officer at LEAD Development; Mulham Ghazi Kheriba, Chief Development Officer at Reportage Group; and Bashar Ayyash, Senior Vice President and Partner at Khatib & Alami. Moderated by Laura Buckwell, the panel addressed how Abu Dhabi is meeting rising housing demand at speed and scale. 

Trojan Construction pointed to digitalisation and automation as the route to closing the cost-speed gap, calling for government incubation of new construction technologies. LEAD Development proposed a central modular design platform of pre-approved templates to let manufacturers begin production in parallel with infrastructure works, while Reportage Group detailed a debt-free, fully in-house model as the basis for affordable delivery. 

Bunaa Programme

ADPIC formalised a new partnership under the Bunaa Programme with Trojan Construction Holding, Gulf Contractors Co. LLC, and GHD Global, strengthening the delivery capacity behind the emirate's capital project pipeline. A separate agreement with Knowledge Group will advance cooperation across training, development, advisory services, and the organisation of conferences and events, with a focus on building national talent and workforce readiness across project and infrastructure-related sectors. 

Delivering the opening keynote, Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), set out the emirate's deliberate approach to infrastructure as a driver of long-term performance. He said: "In Abu Dhabi, our approach to infrastructure is human-centric: focused on how people live, move, and access services across the emirate. And we don't plan for the present alone. We anticipate how our communities will grow, how their expectations will rise, and how their needs will change. Our infrastructure is designed not just to respond, but to stay ahead, and this is how we deliver liveability.”

Al Shorafa also confirmed that the inaugural Livability and Investment Exhibition (LIVEX) will take place from September 29 to October 1, 2026, bringing together the stakeholders shaping the future of liveability and urban development in Abu Dhabi and beyond.

Maysarah Mahmoud Eid, Director General of ADPIC, also took the stage with 'From City-Building to City-Making: Redefining Urban Evolution,' pointing to ADIS's own trajectory as evidence. 

He said: "We are moving beyond building cities, to creating communities that are more connected, more resilient, and designed around people to improve their lives. No single sector can drive this shift alone. It demands a new kind of collaboration across government, industry, finance, and technology. And that is why ADIS exists." 

Eid noted that ADPIC advanced approximately AED32 billion in public-private partnership opportunities last year, with more than 40,000 homes set for delivery by 2029 as part of a broader effort to strengthen communities and raise living standards across the emirate.

Another highlight was a fireside chat with Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and Becky Anderson, Managing Editor of CNN Abu Dhabi, titled 'National Strategies: Infrastructure Development for the Next Urban Century.' 

Investment in transport infrastructure

Al Mazrouei framed Abu Dhabi as both the industrial engine of the UAE and a global player on infrastructure, with forward investment in roads, rail, and metro accounting for more than half of national spending in the sector. 

He noted that the country currently ranks fifth globally for quality of infrastructure and roads, with a clear ambition to move from fifth to first. He also pointed to the integration of energy and infrastructure planning as a defining feature of the UAE model, with efficiency standards, AI-led consumption management, and EV-ready road design embedded from the outset, supported by digital twins deployed across Abu Dhabi and Dubai. – TradeArabia News Service