A conceptual masterplan proposed for Mina Zayed that reimagines the historic port as a new civic and maritime centre at the northern edge of Abu Dhabi.

As a visioning proposal, the concept brings together a cruise hub, a business and marina quarter, a resort landscape, cultural facilities and a diverse public realm to create a new waterfront gateway for the city, reconnecting Abu Dhabi to Saadiyat island while drawing on the emirate’s history of trade and life at sea.

Abu Dhabi’s urban form has long been shaped by water, with the city spread across a series of interconnected islands. As the emirate’s historic port district, Mina Zayed has anchored Abu Dhabi’s growth since becoming operational in the early 1970s. Today, it remains a working trade and tourism hub, with a cruise terminal, markets and port infrastructure undergoing phased public redevelopment. While distinct identities have emerged across other islands, with Saadiyat as a cultural destination, Reem as a residential district and Yas as an entertainment hub, Zayed Waterfront proposes a complementary civic role for Mina Zayed, rooted in Abu Dhabi’s heritage of fishing, pearling, trade and shipbuilding.

The vision draws on international precedents including Singapore, Rotterdam and Copenhagen, where working waterfronts, transport and public life are deliberately woven together to create productive and attractive waterfront destinations. X Architects reworks these lessons through Abu Dhabi’s own linear urban structure, coastal landscape and climate, aligning the masterplan with the ambitions of Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 to diversify the economy, enhance liveability and strengthen the emirate’s identity as a connected waterfront city.

A waterfront gateway, reconnecting Abu Dhabi to Saadiyat

Spanning approximately 2.3 million square metres, the masterplan is organised as a new waterfront gateway with three connected, programme-led districts – Cruise Island, Business Island and Resort Island – forming a new urban sequence between downtown Abu Dhabi, the Corniche and Saadiyat Island.

At its eastern threshold, the Corniche’s recreational waterfront currently terminates at the fish market and the port’s working infrastructure, interrupting the continuity of public access to the water. Zayed Waterfront envisions extending the Corniche’s public realm into the port through a new sequence of plazas, shaded promenades and varied waterfront experiences. A central spine connects the three islands through Zayed Plaza, a civic hub combining a maritime archive, marine research centre, event facilities and public amenities, while connecting cultural, recreational and hospitality destinations across the district.

Three districts, one waterfront

Cruise Island, to the west, is conceived as a new hub for visitors arriving by sea. It integrates a cruise terminal, AD Ports’ headquarters, terminal and business park and event space within a generous public waterfront setting. An elevated terminal platform supports efficient passenger movement, while the ground plane opens to a maritime plaza, canal connections, ferry and water-taxi stops. The proposal responds to Abu Dhabi’s growing cruise economy. The emirate received almost 600,000 cruise passengers in the 2024/25 season, with 174 calls forecast across its two terminals for 2025/26. Zayed Waterfront positions the terminal as a key first encounter with the city’s public life and maritime culture.

At the centre, Business Island establishes an urban waterfront around Abu Dhabi Marina. It combines offices, hospitality, convention facilities, dining and marina services – including a marina club and boat-show facilities – into a year-round programme that stays connected to the working rhythms of the port.

Resort Island, to the east, offers a quieter counterpoint with a landscape of beaches, orchards, mangroves, branded residences, floating villas and a superyacht club. Residences, villas and hospitality spaces are oriented to capture views east towards Saadiyat Island and west across the marina and activity of Business Island. A network of bridges, canals and water transport ties the three islands into the wider archipelago, with a three-layer pedestrian system connecting the water’s edge to the main spine.

Maritime legacy interpreted through landscape

The landscape strategy is grounded in the principles of unity, tolerance, preservation and sustainability championed by the UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Three thematic zones structure the public realm: a Maritime Legacy Zone interpreting the site’s pearling, fishing and trade history; a civic core built around Zayed’s Principles; and a Resort Orchard Zone of native planting and quieter recreation.

A green axis links plazas, shaded paths and civic destinations across the plan. Ghaf trees provide structure and shade at principal gathering spaces, while swales, planted terraces and ecological corridors form part of a water-sensitive public realm. The landscape moves from hard and productive urban edges around the terminal and marina to softer, more natural edges across the resort district.

Mangroves are proposed as a restoration-led component of this coastal strategy. Locally occurring grey mangrove, Avicennia marina – known in Arabic as qurm – is adapted to Abu Dhabi’s saline coastal conditions and is known to support habitat, coastal protection and carbon storage.