Officials touring exhibitors on the opening day of the summit yesterday.
Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit (ADIS) 2026 kicked off yesterday with officials outlining the emirate’s ambitious plans for sustainable urban growth, smart city, and community-focused development.
Held in the UAE capital, the three-day summit brought together more than 7,000 attendees from around the world to discuss the future of urban development, mobility, sustainability, and infrastructure financing.
Opening the summit, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport H E Mohamed Ali Al-Shorafa said Abu Dhabi’s sustained investment in infrastructure has played a critical role in supporting communities and maintaining economic continuity across the country.
“In Abu Dhabi’s case, it is clear that sustained investment in infrastructure has demonstrated its value,” Al-Shorafa said, adding, “It has supported the community across the emirate, ensuring that people can move, services can operate, and economic activity continues without disruption.”
He noted that the city’s infrastructure strategy is built around a human-centric model focused on how residents live, move, and access services, while anticipating future population growth and evolving community needs.
“Our infrastructure is designed not just to respond, but to stay ahead,” he said. “And this is how we deliver livability, not as an abstract concept, but as a measurable outcome of how well the emirate functions.” He revealed that more than 75 billion square metres of development were approved across the emirate in 2025, reflecting the scale of Abu Dhabi’s ongoing expansion.
Al-Shorafa stated that through the Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre (ADPIC), the emirate is also progressing a $57bn capital projects pipeline, with more than 100 capital projects delivered last year.
During his keynote speech, Director General, Abu Dhabi Projects & Infrastructure Centre (ADPIC), Maysarah Mahmoud Eid, said the summit launched last year was to create a global platform for collaboration and innovation around the future of cities.
“Today, we return with broader global participation, stronger partnerships, and an even greater sense of purpose,” Eid said. He stressed that collaboration between governments, industry, investors, and technology providers is essential to addressing future urban challenges.
“That is why ADIS exists,” he said. “This summit is not only about infrastructure; it’s about bringing together the ideas, partnerships, and solutions that will help shape the future cities of tomorrow.” Eid said ADPIC is currently advancing a capital projects pipeline valued at approximately AED209bn, covering more than 500 projects across Abu Dhabi.
He added that the organisation delivered 100 projects last year and advanced around AED32bn in public-private partnership opportunities to strengthen private sector participation in infrastructure delivery.
Among the emirate’s major long-term goals, he said, Abu Dhabi plans to deliver more than 40,000 homes and plots by 2029 to support communities and improve living standards.
“Technology is transforming how projects move from planning to delivery,” Eid said, adding, “One lesson has become increasingly evident: the future of our cities can only be shaped through a shared vision and collective action among governments, businesses, investors, and communities.”
Over the next two days, the summit will host discussions on infrastructure financing, future mobility, digital infrastructure, sustainable communities, and smarter construction, with speakers and experts sharing solutions and delivery models that shape the cities of the future.
