X Architects, a Dubai architecture and urban design practice, has unveiled Zayed Waterfront, 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.
Spanning 2.3 million sq m, 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.
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.
Connected waterfront city
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.
For this project, X Architects reworked these lessons through the UAE capital’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.
The masterplan reimagines Mina Zayed as a new civic, maritime centre.
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, said the Dubai design practice.
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.
A green axis links plazas, shaded paths and civic destinations across the plan. Mangroves are proposed as a restoration-led component of this coastal strategy. Business Island brings offices, hospitality, dining, convention space and Abu Dhabi Marina into a denser, publicly active waterfront district.
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, it added.