Introduction
The Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit (ADIS) 2025 has just been completed at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre (June 17-18, 2025). The main theme of this summit is“Future Cities: Rethinking Infrastructure for Better Lifestyles.” It has already drawn more than 2,000 people, 70+ speakers, and 25+ exhibitors. As the summit wraps up, it strengthens Abu Dhabi’s role as a world center for developing sustainable infrastructure.
ADPIC’s Vision for Future Cities
The Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre (ADPIC) was founded in 2023. It manages and oversees capital projects to improve the quality of life for everyone living in Abu Dhabi. Currently, it has over 600 projects worth more than $54 billion. ADPIC’s key priorities center on three main areas:
- Social welfare
- Economic diversification
- Environmental sustainability
The Centre has an impact on contract management, review, approval, planning, and design of capital projects. It works with relevant groups to ensure quality and enable smooth execution in line with Abu Dhabi’s strategic aims.
In this summit, the main highlights was Abu Dhabi’s ambitious infrastructure pipeline, which includes:
- Over 600 projects valued at more than $54 billion
- $38 billion allocated to 140 housing projects
- $6 billion supporting iconic cultural projects
- $8 billion invested in 163 transport initiatives
Preserving Cultural Identity in Modern Infrastructure
At the current summit, ADPIC showed how it strikes a balance between innovation and cultural identity. It does this by building developments that mix exclusivity with authenticity. You can see this approach in famous projects like:
- Louvre Abu Dhabi
- TeamLab Phenomena
- Soon-to-open Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
- Natural History Museum
- Zayed National Museum
These cultural investments, worth $6 billion, make Abu Dhabi a world-class cultural spot while keeping its unique heritage. ADPIC’s all-in-one master planning gives smooth access to top amenities, high-end shops, and fancy hotels. This boosts the overall luxury lifestyle on offer.
Collaboration for Sustainable Urban Growth
During panel talks at the summit, H.E. Engineer Maysarah Mahmoud Eid, Director General of ADPIC, stressed that partnerships with the private sector help:
- Leverage expertise
- Drive innovation
- Accelerate timelines
- Ensure long-term community value
ADPIC made teamwork easier through clear buying processes supportive rules, and platforms that allowed shared planning and delivery. The Centre works with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to make capital project investment opportunities more visible, getting more private sector players involved.
Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit: A Platform for Change
Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit acted as a starting point for:
| Key Summit Outputs | Description |
|---|---|
| Strategic Partnerships | New collaborations between public and private sectors |
| Investment Agreements | Commitments to future infrastructure projects |
| Policy Announcements | Frameworks to guide next-era infrastructure |
| Development Agenda | Access to Abu Dhabi’s evolving pipeline |
The summit looked into topics such as:
- Policy, Investment and Planning
- Public Sector Partnerships
- Future-Ready Cities
- Sustainable Urban Development
- Lifestyle Development
- Logistics and Connectivity Infrastructure
- Modular Construction and Smart Technologies
- In-Country Value (ICV) and SME Enablement
Innovative Solutions for Community Well-Being
At this summit meetings, ADPIC showcased infrastructure as the foundation of a flourishing community, with investments aiming to boost life quality beyond standard economic indicators:
- Mobility: Growth of Abu Dhabi’s bike network plans to boost public transit users to 327,000 and add 2,750 km of bike paths
- Housing: The Modular Villas building project cuts wait times for UAE citizens from 8 years to only 2 years
- Sustainability: $8 billion put into 163 transport projects to reshape city travel
- Innovation: Carbon-negative cement created with Partanna cuts emissions
Global Leaders Meet at Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit
The summit brought together top government officials such as:
- H.E. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport
- H.E. Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi Chairman, Department of Economic Development
- H.E. Eng. Maysarah Mahmoud Salim Eid, Director General of ADPIC
- H.E. Badr Al Olama, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office
Business leaders taking part include:
- Ibrahim Al Maghribi, CEO of Modon Real Estate
- Adel Abdulla Albreiki, CEO at Aldar Projects
- Dr. Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO of Miral
- Carlos Wakim, CEO of Bloom Holding
- Omar Alsebeyi, Deputy CEO of Etihad Rail Freight
C-suite leaders from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Archer Aviation, Masdar, SAVI Cluster at ADIO, LWK + Partners, MERED, Turkish Contractors Association, and Honeywell shared their insights across infrastructure, mobility, healthcare, aviation, sustainability, and emerging technologies. Along with local representatives, experts from the United Kingdom, Singapore, India, and Turkey attended this meeting.
Modon’s Key Role at Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit
Modon Real Estate has an influence on the summit talks. At yesterday’s meeting, Bill O’Regan, Group CEO of Modon, said: “Modon’s vision for intelligent connected living depends on world-class infrastructure. ADIS offers a vital platform for new partnerships and dialogue to shape sustainable vibrant cities.”
Modon’s involvement shows how public-private teamwork matters to build future-ready urban spaces that balance new ideas with what communities need.
Aldar Joins Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit as a Partner
Aldar Projects played a crucial role as a partner for the Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit. This morning, Adel Abdulla Albreiki CEO at Aldar Projects, gave a keynote speech where he said: “Reimagining infrastructure as a catalyst for wellbeing, socioeconomic growth, and long-term resilience is fundamental to shaping the cities of tomorrow. The Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit offers a vital platform to advance this dialogue.”
Aldar shares its know-how in creating connected sustainable communities to back a common vision for progress in the UAE and beyond.
Conclusion
The Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit 2025 is a major milestone in Abu Dhabi’s infrastructure journey. By bringing together global and local stakeholders, the summit is driving a vision of cities that are not just economically thriving but healthy, sustainable and happy places to live.
As H.E. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa puts it, the summit is “creating a platform that enables construction excellence and city planning to make a lasting impact on liveability globally”.
Through strategic investments, partnerships and human-centric design, Abu Dhabi is setting new standards for urban development that balance technology with heritage, environment and community.
