Al Ruwais

A town in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. It lies along the Abu Dhabi - Sila Highway. Residents are mainly employees of ADNOC, ADCO and Takreer.

Ruwais is a town located some 240 kilometers west of Abu Dhabi city. The Ruwais-industrial and Housing Complex has been developed by ADNOC as a major contributor to the national economy and represents a series of multi-million-dollar investments by the company. The Ruwais story began in the 1970s, when plans were laid to transform a remote desert site into a self-contained industrial town, geared to fulfilling the downstream requirements of Abu Dhabi's booming oil and gas industry. Centered 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. Once a small fishing headland from which a handful of people scratched a seasonal living, Ruwais today is one of the most modern industrial complexes in the Middle East. In addition to the original 120,000 barrels-per-day refinery, which was expanded in 1985 with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex, major facilities at Ruwais include a natural gas liquids fractionation plant operated by Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Ltd (GASCO), a fertilizer plant run by Ruwais Fertilizer Industries (FERTIL), a marine terminal and a sulfur handling terminal. Industry needs people and so Ruwais has also been developed into a model 'new town' with a population of several thousand. The Ruwais Housing Complex, covering an area of six square kilometers, is located 10 kilometers away from the industrial plants. In line with ADNOC'S policy of offering staff and their families all modem amenities, comfortable air-conditioned housing units are set in beautifully landscaped grounds. 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 and video station.
Ruwais Housing Complex
Watertowers of Ruwais Housing ComplexRuwais Housing Complex (RHC) — which has its own shopping centers, schools, mosques, medical services, sports and recreation centers, banking and postal services, and even a cable TV and video station — covers an area of six square kilometers. It lies between Ruwais Industrial Complex and Jebel Dhana, just off the main highway running westwards into Saudi Arabia. RHC was built in two phases between 1979 and 1984, and in line with ADNOC's policy of ensuring that employees and their families have the very best of social and welfare facilities, all efforts have been made to make it a fully-integrated community. The complex has 1,357 residential units, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom, double-story 'executive' villas. All have modern furnishing and fittings and are pleasantly set amidst landscaped grounds. A large area of RHC has been planted with a variety of trees, shrubs, flower beds and lawns. It has a number of recreation parks and a green belt around the perimeter covers 140 hectares and is planted with more than 22,000 trees. To ensure a regular supply of plants all year round, the complex has its own nursery to propagate seeding. Tills is a veritable gardener's paradise, with up to 250,000 plants in stock. Although families who live in RHC are some 250 kilometers away from Abu Dhabi, a wide range of consumer goods is available. The complex has three commercial centers with more than 40 shops and two supermarkets selling everything from foodstuffs to electrical goods, household items and fashion-wear. The educational needs of Ruwais children, from nursery through to secondary level, are met by a total of 10 schools. Seven are managed by the Ministry of Education and three are privately owned, offering British or Indian systems. The schools, private and government, are equipped with modern classrooms and other facilities, such as science laboratories and libraries. RHC has two recreation centers, one exclusively for women. The other is open to all and facilities include a swimming pool, gymnasium, theatre, bowling alley, general activity halls, tennis courts, library, restaurants and cafeterias. Cultural events, often involving troupes and performers from overseas, are staged regularly at the recreation centers. For days at the seaside, residents have access to a beach dub at Jebel Dhanna, which in addition to water sports facilities has a TV and Games hall. RHC residents can always be sure of something interesting to watch on their television sets, thanks to a local TV and video station which operates on a cable network. The complex has all the ancillary services required of a modern town, including a well-maintained road network, street lighting in all areas, and a sewage system which includes a treatment plant for recycling sewage water for irrigation purposes. Electricity and desalinated water supplies are provided directly from the refinery
RHC Hospital & ClinicRHC families receive the very best of medical care. thanks to a purpose-built local clinic and a modern general hospital situated near the industrial area, 10 kilometers away. The clinic and the hospital are administered by the Medical Services Division of the Administration Directorate. Ruwais Hospital is a 36-bed acute-care facility providing the full range of general and emergency medical services, including cardiology, maternity, pediatrics, dentistry and ophthalmology, on both an out-patient and in-patient basis. 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 immediate neighborhood. Ambulance crews are on hand, for example, to attend LO road accidents along the highway between Tarif and Sila. The RHC Clinic, which is open six days a week and is fully integrated with Ruwais Hospital, provides a comprehensive health-care programmed to all residents of the housing complex. It offers a wide range of general practitioner and specialist services, including nursing and child welfare, immunization and vaccination, school health, dental and physiotherapy services. Ruwais Housing Complex is managed by Ruwais Housing Division, part of the ADNOC Administration Directorate
Ruwais site conditionsThe average daytime temperature within the area rarely exceeds 41 C, with extreme maximum ranging up to 50 C. In the winter months the lowest daytime mean temperature will usually not be below 20 C

Relative humidity is high throughout the year, averaging about 70% and reaching 95% or more in the early morning hours and late nights. In winter the humidity may temporarily fall below 50% during a shamal (strong wind).

The rainfall at Ruwais is not accurately known but ranges approximately between 0 to 100 millimeters, averaging around 20 millimeters per year. Most of the rainfalls occur during the period November to March in the form of showers or thunderstorms. In an average year, measurable rain may fall on about 7 to 10 days
Inside RuwaisGiven that Ruwais is a smaller city, it enjoys a huge population of workers and employees which all enjoy the peacefullness of the town. Projects are always on the rise and work never ends but when their shifts are over the ruwaisians are never sick of watching the sunset and smoking shisha at Omar Balaa's beach rest area, a must see attraction in Ruwais.

One of the other attraction is the great 3 BLUE TANKERs , Which people usually are able to climb and then sincerly watch the sun set
Ruwais Housing Complex (RHC)RHC was built on two parts:

Ruwais 1: Inaugurated in 1982, it consists mainly of Villas built in the style of US towns during the 1970s and 80s, some apartments, most of Ruwais' facilities like the Recreational Center and Clinc is found there. It also has the management of the complex.

Ruwais 2: Built during the interval of 2000 to 2002 it was built to accommodate the increasing numbers of employees in the refinery it consists of about 50 buildings with a number of apartments, the main public schools and the Junior School (a part of ISC Ruwais the other Senior School is found in Ruwais 1).

Ruwais 3: Still in progress. possibility of Ruwais mall bieng built
SchoolingThe education in Ruwais is from 2 main schools: The Asian international school and the International school of Chouefat.

Asian International School - The school's current principal is Mrs. Rohini Jayaram and the Vice-Principal is Mr. Muhammad al Fazi. It is located in Ruwais 2 near the park (ground). The school is a very important school for the INDIANS living in Ruwais. This school follows the CBSE system of education. The athletic team is a very strong one and has won many awards in the Gulf level competition. The strength of the school is about 700 students. The students of the school are highly disciplined and friendly to everyone.

The International School of Choueifat - Senior School, is located in Ruwais 1. It consists of grades 5 to 13. International School of Choueifat - Infant School, is also in Ruwais 1 and is near to the Senior School, while the Junior School which consists of KG to grade 4, is located in Ruwais 2.Senior school, Which contained the most Academically And Physically well fit students, whom which participated in the anual competitions all over the country with other ISC(Eg. abu dhabi, dubai,al ain..), and have won several prizes and got to compete with SABIS schools internationally (QATAR)

Ruwais is a peaceful place due to less traffic. It is not like the big cities like Abu-Dhabi and Dubai. It is pollution-free and calm. For relaxing, the "Ruwaisians" (as they are sometimes called) like going to the beach, hanging out at the recreation centre which consists of a bowling alley, a huge swimming pool, cinema, theatre, library, food corner, tennis area, restaurant, a big hall and other things. Ruwais 2 park is a very common place to find people. It is situated near the two big tennis courts and a huge football court. People come there to play, hang out, or simply just to walk.

Public School, which most arabs tend to enrole their children in
DANAT hotel9 km from the RHC, this seaside hotel is newly built (2004) it has an all 5 star service.