Al Ruwais, Abu Dhabi

HIGHLIGHTS

• Renting property
• Getting around
• Schools
• Restaurants
• Things to do
• Upcoming attractions
• Things to consider
• FAQs

ABOUT AL RUWAIS

Al Ruwais or Ar-Ruwais is a town located in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi. It is around two hours away from the Abu Dhabi city, spanning a distance of approximately 240 kilometres. 

Home to the Ruwais Refinery, the area is now being developed into a housing complex to cater to the staffing accommodation of ADNOC employees. The housing complex, namely Al Ruwais City consists of all sorts of lifestyle amenities and offers apartments and villas.

Al Dhafra forms the western region of the UAE, covering up to 71% of the total area. Previously known as Al Gharbia, Al Dhafra is a remote development and is one of the three major municipal regions of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. 

IN A NUTSHELL

• Located in Al Dhafra
• Previously a rural port town
• Home to the Ruwais Refinery
• Consists of Al Ruwais City – a complete housing complex

NEIGHBOURHOOD

COMMUNITY OVERVIEW

Around 240 kilometres from Abu Dhabi in the Al Dhafra region lies the Al Ruwais town. It was once a small fishing headland that developed into a large industrial and housing complex. The town is home to the Ruwais Refinery, which is the largest oil refinery in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is owned by Takreer ADNOC.

The reformation took place in the 1970s when the rural town was seen as a prospective site for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)’s employees accommodation. Then President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan inaugurated the town in 1982 that has now grown into a large hub made featuring individuals from more than 40 nationalities. The total population of Ruwais Abu Dhabi is around 29,000 at the moment.

Being a complete community within itself, Al Ruwais City has all kinds of amenities from supermarkets to parks, recreational centres, schools, a hospital and a mall too. In fact, one of Abu Dhabi’s post offices, Ruwais Post Office is also located within this housing complex.

PROPERTIES IN RUWAIS

Properties are mostly located in Al Ruwais City, which is a housing complex made up of villas and apartments. Both apartments and villas are available in different configurations, with 2-bed units covering built-up areas up to 2,500 sq. ft. while an 8-bedroom villa may span up to 4,000 sq. ft. of floor area.

RENTAL TRENDS IN RUWAIS

For renting in Ruwais, you can take reference from the listed trends.

• The yearly rent of a 2-bedroom apartment in Al Ruwais, Abu Dhabi is an average of AED 50K.
• The average annual rent of a villa in Al Ruwais Abu Dhabi with 8 bedrooms is around AED 300K.

SALE TRENDS IN RUWAIS

You can buy a mixed-use land in Al Ruwais spanning 199,605 sq. ft. of floor area for an average price of AED 3.2M.

HOTELS NEAR RUWAIS

One will find many options when it comes to hotels in and near Al Ruwais, such as:

• Remal Hotel – 4-star hotel
• Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort – 5-star hotel
• Dhafra Beach Hotel – 3-star hotel
• Western Hotel – Ghayathi – 3-star hotel
• Anantara Desert Islands Resort & Spa – 5-star hotel

Western Hotel is located on Al Ruwais Road, Ghayathi while Anantara Desert Islands Resort & Spa is a luxury resort on Sir Bani Yas Island.

TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING IN RUWAIS

Residents as well as guests will never have to worry about parking in Al Ruwais, for the town features multiple open spaces that are suitable for parking the vehicles with ease. Villas have large compounds while the apartment buildings come with underground or ground-level parking. 

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NEAR RUWAIS

The town features its own bus network, with multiple buses covering different areas throughout. Individuals can find detailed information from the Darbi app from their smartphones that form a part of Abu Dhabi’s public transport system. Different taxis are available in the region too and they can be hailed from the public taxi stands with ease.

The buses include X87, X88, 780, 880, 881, 882, 884 and 890 and run from Sunday to Saturday with timings starting from 7 am in the morning and going up to 11:30 pm in the night. They cover different routes, some operating within the housing complex while some take the passengers to the Sir Bani Yas Island ferry station, Ghuweifat border and Abu Dhabi city too. A few of the buses transport individuals to areas such as Ghayathi and Al Mirfa too.

Some of the main bus stations are Ruwais Mall Bus Station, ADNOC Bus Station, Ruwais Hospital Bus Station and West Market Bus Station. 

AMENITIES, SCHOOLS AND HEALTHCARE

SUPERMARKETS IN RUWAIS

Supermarkets in Al Ruwais include:

• Al Ruwais Supermarket & Auto. Bakeries
• Furhood Baqala (Grocery)
• Lulu Express Fresh Market
• Abu Dhabi Market

LuLu Express Fresh Market operates under the LuLu Group International. LuLu hypermarkets and supermarkets rank as one of the best supermarkets in Abu Dhabi and the UAE overall, owing to their wide-ranging product inventory of products. Besides your everyday groceries, you can also find electronics, furniture and casual wear here under discounted prices.

The community also boasts of a Traditional Souq and two huge markets namely East Market and West Market. 

MOSQUES NEAR RUWAIS

The housing complex in the town is dotted with numerous mosques at every end. The commercial area also consists of a few mosques where Muslims can go for their regular prayers.

Mosques in Al Ruwais include:

• Central Park Mosque
• Umar Bin Abdul Aziz Mosque
• East Mosque
• West Mosque
• Al Yash 6 Mosque
• ADNOC Masjid

OTHER PLACES OF WORSHIP NEAR RUWAIS

The area boasts of a few churches that cater to Christians of different faiths. Churches in Al Ruwais include:

• Ruwais MFG Church – ADNOC Takreer Tent
• St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church

Ruwais MFG Church is held in Malayalam on Friday at 4 pm and on Wednesday at 8 pm. Church in Ruwais hosts different kinds of sermons, events, bible studies in English as well as Tamil. It offers a Sunday School too for those interested. St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church is one of the Catholic churches in the UAE that run under the leadership of the Pope. The Konkani Community operates this Catholic Church.

SCHOOLS NEAR RUWAIS

Schools in Al Ruwais include:

• ADNOC Schools
• Al Abbas Bin Abdel Muttalib School
• Al Nahrawan School
• Amra Bint Abdel Rahman School
• Asian International Private Ruwais (Western Zone)
• SABIS International Private School

ADNOC Schools are a formation by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and they have branches in different towns of Abu Dhabi. These offer a STEM-based approach and the full Advanced Placement (AP) Curriculum. 

Al Abbas Bin Abdel Muttalib School, Al Nahrawan School and Amra Bint Abdel Rahman School are public schools. 

Asian International Private School follows the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and offers Hindu, French and Urdu as second languages in addition to English as the medium of teaching.

Ruwais Private School or SABIS International Private School, as the name suggests follows the curriculum of the SABIS Network that is available on a global scale. The education programme traces back to Lebanon around 130 years ago and offers classes from Kindergarten to Grade 12. 

CLINICS AND HOSPITALS NEAR RUWAIS

The housing complex has its own hospital, namely NMC Ruwais Hospital, which is amongst the largest multi-speciality hospitals in the region of Al Dhafra. Accredited by the Joint Commission International and Emergency Department, the 122-bed hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and a team of physicians from more than 25 specialities. NMC hospitals and clinics are amongst Abu Dhabi’s best clinics. 

Another option is Express Ghayathi Clinic, located in UAE Exchange Building in Sanayya, Ghayathi. Located at a 21-minute drive from Al Ruwais, the clinic offers physicians for general medicine and family medicine.

NEARBY AREAS

Immediately surrounding Al Ruwais are:

• Jebel Dhanna
• Al Hamra
• Qirayn Al ‘Aysh

All of these areas are part of the Al Dhafra region in Abu Dhabi, hence bringing them under the Al Dhafra Municipality. 

Jebel Dhanna is home to ports, beaches and resorts, thus serving as a popular tourist destination. Al Hamra is home to the Al Hamra Military Training Centre at Western Region. 

Qirayn Al ‘Aysh or Qareen Al Aish is an island that serves as a crucial place for migratory birds. Around 67 species of birds, from both marine and land areas, seek refuge here during the months from October to May.

LIFESTYLE

SHOPPING, DINING AND NIGHTLIFE

MALLS NEAR RUWAIS

Residents can find two malls in proximity:

• Ruwais Mall
• Ghayathi Mall

At the moment, Ruwais Mall is the only mall in Al Ruwais. It serves as a convenient neighbourhood mall and consists of a LuLu Hypermarket, food court, over 40 shopping stores and entertainment options too. Renowned stores are there in the mall, like Sun & Sand Sports, which is one of Abu Dhabi’s best top sports shops. 

Another well-known shop is Malabar Gold and Diamonds that ranks as one of the best gold shops in Abu Dhabi. The mall has its own cinema namely Royal Cinema with four cinema halls. Moreover, it houses FunVille, which is a play centre and Fantasy Bowling Club. 

Ghayathi Mall is outside the community at a 20-minute drive and consists of a LuLu Hypermarket in addition to several shopping stores.

RESTAURANTS IN RUWAIS

Some of the best restaurants in Al Ruwais include:

• 4Gamers
• Shakespeare and Co.
• KFC
• Kawloon
• Danat Bainuna Restaurant
• Zaitoun – Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort
• Shahalat Jazzin

4Gamers serves dishes from Italian, American as well as Asian cuisines while Shakespeare and Co. is a renowned café that offers some of the best pastries and desserts. KFC is a fast food restaurant that is popular for its fried chicken, Kawloon is a Chinese restaurant while Danat Bainuna Restaurant is a Middle Eastern restaurant and serves Arabian items.

At Zaitoun, you can order a variety of items from Italian as well as Mediterranean cuisines while Shahalat Jazzin is an Indian restaurant, offering delicious shawarma and chicken items.

For enjoying nightlife and beverages with your friends, you can drive to Dhafra Beach Hotel and find Hana Bar and Sahra Beirut. 

BEACHES NEAR RUWAIS

An attractive point of the area is the availability of different beaches in proximity. The beaches near Al Ruwais include:

• ADNOC Beach Club
• Shipwreck Beach
• Shuweihat Island
• Sir Bani Yas Island

ADNOC Ruwais Beach Club is a lively beach that consists of barbecue facilities, shaded areas and play areas for children. It is the only option within the community and the perfect beach to spend a fun-filled day with your family.

Sir Bani Yas Island can be reached by boarding the ferry and offers a variety of options, ranging from wildlife to luxury resorts, historical sites and luxury villas too. It received the award for being the World’s Leading Sustainable Tourism Destination at the 2014 World Travel Awards. You will find more than 17,000 animals here and observe the wildlife through thrilling safaris.

Located 12 kilometres at a 20-minute drive from Al Ruwais, Shipwreck Beach is a natural and wild beach where you can enjoy a raw and serene surrounding while enjoying the Arabian waters. Shuweihat Island is around 40 minutes away at a distance of 35 kilometres. Full of natural rock formations, the island has a beach that is a popular option for camping for most of the locals and tourists alike.

LEISURE ACTIVITIES AND NOTABLE LANDMARKS

In addition to exploring the community mall, parks and beaches, residents can head over to many nearby landmarks for some fun time out.

• Ruwais Farm 
• Heritage Village
• Desert Island Resort & Spa by Anantara

Ruwais Farm is a miniature zoo, located in the Ruwais nursery opposite the Ruwais Police Station. Individuals can observe and even feed different kinds of animals here and look at the flora and fauna too.

Heritage Village is located opposite the Traditional Souq and offers you the chance to experience a number of historic activities. Here you can indulge in various festivities and explore the era of the olden days. 

Desert Island Resort & Spa by Anantara is one of the best beach resorts in Abu Dhabi and can be reached within a 20-minute drive. It is one of those Anantara hotels in UAE where premium rooms come with minibars and Espresso machines too.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, FITNESS AND BEAUTY

Al Ruwais City, the town’s housing complex has numerous sports courts, such as ten tennis courts, badminton courts, squash courts and a cricket pitch. The complex is dotted with four community parks throughout, where residents can walk, jog, cycle or exercise as they please. The largest of these is Central Park, which is well equipped with playground activities for children.

Moreover, there are many health centres and gyms including:

• Al Hosn Recreation Centre
• Al Mariah Female Health Club
• Baynounah Health Club
• Yas Social Centre
• Ladies Health Club

ADNOC manages Al Hosn Recreation Centre, which is a recreational and sports centre with play areas, beverage outlets, gyms and swimming pools. Al Mariah Female Health Club consists of both indoor and outdoor walking tracks along with a library, swimming pool, gym, billiards and kids play area.

Baynounah Health Club offers martial arts and a football pitch, in addition to a swimming pool, gym and indoor sports hall. Yas Social Centre comes with an auditorium and a restaurant along with lecture halls and an outdoor swimming pool. Ladies Health Club comes with an activity area for kids and eating options too. 

For personal grooming, there are many gents salons in the community, such as:

• Ilyash Hair Salon (Mens) – East Market
• Gents Salon Sydney 2000 – West Market
• Al Andaleeb Men Saloon – Central Market
• Al Shahad Men Saloon – Central Market

COMMUNITY EVENTS

The website and social groups update regarding all types of community events from time to time. These range from educational seminars to medical check-ups, camps to awareness sessions too. The venue of the events varies as per the event’s nature, with some being held online while those pertaining to healthcare may be held in the community hospital.

SOCIAL COMMUNITY GROUPS

Residents of the area can find information regarding the city and the housing complex on the Facebook page ‘Ruwais.info’ as well as the website.

UPCOMING ATTRACTIONS

Plans for a dedicated golf course are currently underway. The gold course will consist of leisure options in addition to walking and sports areas.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

The town is suitable for individuals who either work in the nearby refinery or those who wish tranquil and remote living in the UAE. The area is still under development and will feature a wider set of amenities once some more phases of it are completed. 

FAQS ABOUT AL RUWAIS

FAQs

Where is Ruwais?

It is a new area in Abu Dhabi on Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road E11, away from the rush of the city.

How far is Ruwais from Abu Dhabi?

The distance between Abu Dhabi city and Al Ruwais, Abu Dhabi is approximately 224 kilometres, which translates to a drive between 1 hour 42 minutes and 2 hours.

How do you get from Ruwais to Abu Dhabi?

You can drive to Abu Dhabi via Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road E11.

How far is Ruwais from Dubai?

It is approximately 328 kilometres away from Dubai and may require a drive between 2 hours and 45 minutes to 3 hours. 

How do I get to Shuweihat Island?

Whether you reside in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, or any of the emirates, you can take the E11 highway and access the island by taking a long drive. Even from Al Ruwais, the island is more than 30 minutes away, where you can take the exit to ADNOC Petrol Station until you reach a small airport. The north coast is where you will find Shuweihat Island.

Where is Ruwais Port?

In the western region of Abu Dhabi.

Are you looking to rent or an apartment or villa in Al Ruwais?  

LOCATION

• Abu Dhabi city is reachable within a drive of 1 hr 42 minutes
• Dubai City is 2 hr and 45 minutes away