Yas Island is a leisure and entertainment destination and one of the largest natural islands in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Covering a land area of 2,500ha with approximately 32km of beachfront shoreline, the project has seamlessly integrated various components such as world-class theme parks, luxurious hotels, residential communities, retail outlets, entertainment venues and more.
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The $40bn island project was developed by Aldar Properties, a real estate company based in the UAE.
Miral is a developer and asset management company based in Abu Dhabi, responsible for the development and management of Yas Island.
Yas Island’s development was announced in 2006 and it was first opened to the public in 2010.
Yas Island is continuously developing, with new attractions and developments being added to enhance its appeal as a mixed-use tourist destination and leisure hub in the UAE.
Location
Yas Island is located in Abu Dhabi, just 20 minutes away from downtown Abu Dhabi and 50 minutes from Dubai.
It is connected to the mainland through the 1.1km Yas Tunnel Road and highways.
The strategic location of Yas Island provides convenient access for both residents and international visitors, with the Abu Dhabi International Airport located just ten minutes away.
Yas Island development details
Yas Island was developed in three phases with complete essential utilities and infrastructure.
The first phase of the project was opened to host the first F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November 2009.
It involved the completion of the 5.5km Yas Marina Circuit, seven hotels and Yas Links Golf Course. The Yas Links Clubhouse spans 12,000m2 along the golf course on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
The associated infrastructure of the island project includes roads, water, vacuum solid waste disposal, district cooling, power, and irrigation systems.
It has a 91 million litre capacity underground tank to store drinking water.
A 400m-long public beach with 150 parking spaces was completed near the Yas Plaza, in September 2011.
The remaining two phases include 110,000 residential buildings, Yas Mall, polo clubs, Warner Bros. Movie World, Yas Island Water Park, and 20 hotels.
Ferrari World theme park was opened to the public in 2010. Following it, Yas Waterworld, Abu Dhabi’s largest water-themed park, was completed in 2013, with Yas Mall welcoming visitors in 2014.
Subsequently, Warner Bros. Movie World commenced operations in 2018, followed by CLYMB Abu Dhabi, an indoor adventure destination, in 2019.
In 2021, Etihad Arena, the largest indoor entertainment venue, and Yas Bay Waterfront entertainment and retail centre were opened to the public.
Yas Bay Waterfront features Pier71, and a 3km Boardwalk, together with various world-class dining, leisure and entertainment brands.
In August 2022, Aldar Properties launched Yas Park Gate, the Mediterranean-style gated community beside Yas Park, which is a first-of-its-kind family and recreational activity park with an area of 115,000m² in North Yas.
The residential development, valued at Dh1.15bn ($313m) will complement the existing communities while showcasing 508 new homes spread across 255,000m². The handovers are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026.
Aldar Properties, in collaboration with Diamond Developers, introduced The Sustainable City – Yas Island, an eco-conscious community that redefines living standards for residents in Abu Dhabi by prioritising sustainability in January 2023.
In May 2023, SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, the inaugural Marine Life Theme Park in the region, commenced operations, featuring five indoor levels across a vast expanse of 183,000m².
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina Hotel, and Yas Mall details
The 86,000m² Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is the world’s largest indoor theme park. The 50m-high, red octopus-shaped roof of the park required 12,370 tonnes of steel for the creation of its 2,200m perimeter.
Benoy, an architecture and master planning company, designed the 200,000m² roof, which also features a 65m x 48.5m Ferrari logo and a glazed funnel.
Ramboll was the structural and facade consultant. Construction of the park was completed between November 2008 and November 2010 and was officially inaugurated in December 2010.
The 500-room, 85,000m² Yas Marina Hotel consists of two, 12-storey curvilinear towers connected by a sculpted-steel monocoque bridge and a 217m canopy. The bridge passes over the Grand Prix F1 racing track.
Its facade is made of steel grid shells and 5,800 diamond-shaped glass panels, with about 5,000 RGBW LED fixtures, which were installed by Arup Lighting.
Six other hotels surrounding the central Yas Hotel Plaza have 1,800 rooms in all. Aldar manages them under the brands such as InterContinental Hotels Group, Rotana and Rezidor.
The Fountains, located between Yas Mall, CLYMB Abu Dhabi, and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, offer a diverse selection of top-tier dining choices for visitors to Yas Island. The options include both takeaway counters and elegant restaurants overlooking spectacular fountains.
The largest shopping centre in Abu Dhabi, Yas Mall, features international brands, restaurants, and entertainment venues.
The 360,000m² Yas Mall has 230,000m² of lease space for 400 retail stores, plus 240,000m² of parking space for 12,000 cars.
It also has cinemas, restaurants, and entertainment centres with activities such as bowling and laser tag, as well as food courts, and a 16,000m² Géant Hypermarket.
A master plan for a new waterfront community on the island was approved by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council in February 2012.
The 680ha development includes a series of unique residential communities to accommodate 55,000 inhabitants.
Yas Waterworld details
Yas Waterworld, a 15ha water park based on traditional Emirati culture and heritage, was developed adjacent to the Ferrari World. The 150,000m² water park features 43 rides and slides based on the story ‘The Lost Pearl’.
Miral unveiled plans for a significant expansion of Yas Waterworld in November 2023. The expansion will span 16,900m² and set for completion in 2025.
It will introduce 3.3km of new slide sections and increase guest capacity by 20%.
The expansion includes the addition of 18 new rides and attractions, bringing the total more than 60 rides.
Among the highlights will be the UAE’s tallest slide and the Gulf Cooperation Council’s inaugural amusement ride with a 15m drop for up to 20 guests to enjoy together.
The Etihad Arena, Yas Island
The project by Sutton involved the construction of an arena for entertainment purposes with a 500-seat theatre to cater to an 18,000-capacity venue.
It was specially built to host large-scale events such as sports competitions, major cultural performances, concerts, meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions.
The arena serves as an anchor for a promenade, with more than 50 cafés and restaurants, a recreational pier, 20 retail outlets, the Yas Marina F1 circuit, two hotels, and a beach club.
The Yas Marina Circuit, a world-renowned Formula 1 racetrack, was developed in the second phase, along with the adjacent Yas Marina. The marina offers berthing facilities, a yacht club, and waterfront dining options.
Sustainable City – Yas Island details
The Sustainable City-Yas Island will be a fully sustainable community consisting of condominiums and townhouses arranged in ten clusters, with 272 condominiums and 240 townhouses released for sale in the initial phase in January 2023.
The community features open green spaces, walkways, and community farming plots, centred around a green spine comprising parks, lakes, and biodomes for vegetable cultivation.
The eco-conscious community will offer a range of communal facilities, including an equestrian centre, gym, pools, cycling and jogging tracks, sports courts, retail and food and beverage outlets, a nursery, an autism centre, and a sustainable mosque.
In order to promote an active lifestyle and reduce emissions, communal battery-charged buggies and bicycles will be provided for transportation within the community, emphasising walkability and accessibility.
The development is powered by clean renewable energy, with solar panels installed on parking structures to save up to 50% on energy bills.
High-efficiency water systems, sustainability technology, community design principles, and recycling facilities further contribute to reducing carbon emissions, water consumption, energy usage, and waste within the community.
Architects and contractors involved
Benoy designed the master plan of the leisure island. Currie & Brown, a cost and project management services provider, oversaw contract management, cost management, and contract administration for the Yas Island development.
The 5.5km Yas Marina Circuit for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was designed by German architect Herman Tilke. The hotel, which opened in November 2009, was designed by Asymptote Architecture and built by Al Futtaim Carillion.
Dewan Architects & Engineers and Arup were the structural engineers while Schlaich Bergermann Partner, Front, and TAW & Partner served as facade consultants.
Atkins designed the Yas Waterworld Aqua Park.
Halcrow was the main consultant for the racetrack and marine infrastructure while the golf course was designed by Kyle Phillips Golf Course Design.
Zabeel Investments built the golf course along with the Golf Links Club House. The clubhouse was designed by GHD Global and Simon J Black Interior Design at a cost of $53m.
Dredging International constructed two marinas capable of accommodating about 160 yachts up to 66m long, managed by Camper & Nicholsons Marina.
The Yas Mall complex, designed by RTKL International, was built by Six Construct, a subsidiary of the Bexix Group. KBR acts as the project management consultant for various projects on the island, including the Ferrari theme park, marina access, and other infrastructure projects. Alec constructed the water park, operated by Farah Leisure Parks Management.
Metito was the contractor for the sewage treatment works, with a plant featuring three streams using the membrane bioreactor process to treat 19,000m³ per day for irrigation purposes.
SeaWorld Yas Island was developed by Miral in partnership with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, an educational theme park and entertainment company.
