The Al Dhannah/Ruwais industrial and housing complex has been developed by ADNOC as a major contributor to the national economy and represents a series of multimillion-dollar investments by the company.

Once a small fishing headland from which a handful of people scratched a seasonal living, Al Dhannah today is one of the most modern industrial complexes in the Middle East.

The complex has its own shops, schools, banks, mosques, clinic and hospital, and a wide range of sporting and leisure amenities including a beach club and an 'in-house' TV station.

ADNOC, in 2018, initially planned to double the population of the city by investing Dh165 billion to develop the world’s largest integrated refining and petrochemicals complex in Al Dhannah.

The planning process included “expert input on desert ecology, coastal geomorphology, local and regional natural history and culture, desert landscape architecture and sustainability as well as climate and microclimatic design.”[6] Th former Ruwais Mall was inaugurated in 2014, and features a hypermarket, several well-known family fashion brands and accessories outlets, alongside specialized stores, a food court, and numerous banks.

[8] Al Dhannah offers a wide array of health, sports, and recreational services aimed at their residents, with female only designated spaces also available.

[10] The emergency department, staffed by highly skilled medical officers and well-trained nurses, is open 24 hours a day and operates a round-the-clock ambulance service, not only for ADNOC employees and their families but the whole of the Al Dhafra Region.