For Al Ruwais, Qatar, see Al Ruwais

Ruwais is a small town developing into a city in the western part of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, about 240 km west of the city of Abu Dhabi.

View of the blue water towers in Ruwais, as of 2004

Understand

The area of Ruwais was once a small fishing headland from which a handful of people scratched a seasonal living. In the 1970s, plans were laid to transform a remote desert site into a self-contained industrial town, geared to fulfilling the requirements of Abu Dhabi's booming oil and gas industry. Centred around Takreer's Ruwais Refinery, the complex was officially inaugurated in 1982 by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and the visionary behind Abu Dhabi's remarkable development and prosperity. Ruwais today is one of the most modern industrial complexes in the Middle East.

Get in

By road

The two-laned highway, E11, which starts from Sila and extends to Abu Dhabi is the only way to enter or exit Ruwais by road.

By plane

There is an small airstrip about 10 km away, but it is small and only small private aircraft such a Cessna 172 or a Beechcraft Baron can land there. There are also some helipads, but they are used only by the police and the hospitals, so unless you have a private plane, you will need to fly to Abu Dhabi or Dubai.

Get around

Getting around is pretty easy and safe; the people tend to help and accompany each other.

By shuttle bus

Though taxi services are not available, shuttle buses are available and are active even during public holidays.

By bicycle

People often prefer to use bicycles for short trips. Bicycle upgrades are also possible in sports shops. People are advised to use their bicycles on footpaths and avoid the street.

By foot

You can see people walking throughout the day. Walking and jogging is also a popular sporting activity here.

See

There is not much to be seen in Ruwais but one fascinating view is of the sunset from the 3 Blue Tankers and the view of the industries; but be careful not to snap any pics of the industrial complex as if they are found by authorities, the devices you used to take them may be confiscated by security.

Do

In Ruwais, there is a recreation centre which has a swimming pool, table tennis court, badminton hall, squash courts, tennis grounds and a gym. There is also a men's health club and a women's health club which are both under commission. There is a Go-Kart course, skating and cycling course under construction.

Buy

• Ruwais Mall, Ruwais (By taxi or buses), ☏ +97128763344, info@ruwaismall.ae. 10AM - 10PM. 

Sleep

There is a single guest house for visitors: Al Yash Guest House (1), which has many high-class facilities. The other guest houses, Al Yash Guest House (2), (3) and (4) are present as temporary housing for new employees.

You may also reside in Danat Resort, which is a 5-star resort near the coast and has many entertainment facilities such as jet skis and fishing.