Abu Dhabi to link Ramhan and Jubail islands to the E12 motorway with a Dh872m road network

Abu Dhabi's Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) has begun work on a road network that will connect the under-development Ramhan and Jubail islands to the mainland. According to The National, 27 October 2026, the project is worth Dh872 million ($237 million) and is scheduled for completion in 2027. For anyone weighing a home on either island, the news turns a planned community into one with a committed route to the wider city.

What the project includes

The scheme ties both islands into the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed (E12) motorway, the main artery running along Abu Dhabi's eastern edge. According to The National, 27 October 2026, it comprises seven bridges, three tunnels and a network of ramps, roads and utility corridors spread across 166,000 square metres. The DMT says advanced works are already under way.

Eisa Al Mazrouei, the department's director general of infrastructure development, said the project 'facilitates access to Ramhan and Jubail Islands while unlocking new development zones and economic opportunities.' The utility corridors matter as much as the roads: water, power and telecoms lines are being laid alongside the carriageways, the groundwork that lets residential plots be handed over and occupied.

The communities it serves

Ramhan Island is being developed by Eagle Hills across about 400 hectares, more than half of which is buildable. According to The National, 27 October 2026, the plan calls for roughly 1,800 stand-alone villas, 900 marina residences, a hotel and a retail promenade.

Jubail Island, developed by Lead Development, is a far larger 4,000-hectare waterfront community wrapped in mangroves, waterways and forested trails. Both sites have sold homes on the promise of a low-density, nature-led setting; the new link is what connects that setting to jobs, schools and the airport on the mainland.

What it means for buyers

A dedicated motorway connection is one of the practical details that separate a brochure from a liveable address. Commute times, emergency access and delivery logistics all hinge on it, and a 2027 completion target gives buyers a concrete milestone to check against their own move-in plans.

The DMT also says the works will recycle about 90 per cent of construction waste, more than 2,200 tonnes, and use energy-efficient LED lighting, according to The National, 27 October 2026. For investors, the signal is that the infrastructure is being funded and built ahead of the bulk of residents arriving, rather than lagging behind them.