Al Ain, UAE - Work on the Al Ain Urban Plan 2040 has been presented to His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Ain Region. The long-term framework is meant to guide sustainable urban development and lift quality of life across the region.
Al Ain City Municipality and the Urban Planning and Permits Centre (UPPC), part of Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), sent a delegation to give the briefing, which also went through the plan’s strategic directions.
Those present included Rashed Musabbeh Al Manei, Director-General of Al Ain City Municipality, and Abdulla Mohamed Al Blooshi, the UPPC’s Director-General. Several officials also attended, as did His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Undersecretary of the Ruler’s Representative Court in Al Ain Region.
Officials set out the main results of the plan so far and the directions proposed for growth in the years ahead. They also presented the draft Al Ain City Centre Plan, setting out its planning and design visions and its development projects and initiatives.
Sheikh Hazza called for an integrated approach to planning, one shaped around what Al Ain Region and its people need and hope for. Such an approach should protect the cultural identity and natural assets of the region, back sustainable development and improve quality of life, he said.
He was taken through what coordination between the entities involved had produced so far, including their main proposals and recommendations. Results from the plan’s community survey were also on the table, with participation indicators showing what residents want from urban development in the region and where their priorities lie.
The DMT opened that survey, titled Al Ain Survey: The Future of Urban Development, in March to citizens, residents, visitors and businesses, and it closed on 20 April 2026. According to the department, 94% of respondents have been living in the region for more than 10 years and 82% are UAE nationals, while more parks, green spaces and gardens came out as the top priority.
In August, the UPPC discussed the results at a workshop attended by nearly 90 people representing more than 40 entities from government and the private sector.
Sheikh Hazza said residents should have a say in setting the region’s urban development priorities. He also urged the entities concerned to work more closely together, so that planning visions and strategic directions turn into projects with tangible benefits for residents, meeting their needs and supporting balanced growth throughout Al Ain Region.
Discussion at the meeting covered where urban growth should come first, using land efficiently, investment opportunities and the projects given priority. Officials also went through the stages of the plan still to be developed, the timeline being proposed, and the priorities and decisions needed to move its preparation and implementation forward.
The delegation thanked Sheikh Hazza for the support he continues to give to development work across various sectors in the region.
Its members said the municipality, the UPPC and the other entities involved remain committed to continuing work on the plan and will set clear implementation timelines to meet the region’s sustainable urban development objectives.
