Posted on July 8, 2026
Giant concrete blocks left a port, crossed the sea, and shaped an unprecedented structure in Abu Dhabi, created on an offshore artificial island to receive luxury vessels with unusual dimensions and high operational demand.
The United Arab Emirates began using giant reinforced concrete caissons in an unprecedented maritime project in the country, installed in the sea of Abu Dhabi to form 600 linear meters of quay on an offshore artificial island.
Designed to accommodate some of the world’s largest mega-yachts, the structure serves vessels with more than 100 meters in length and combines port engineering, offshore construction, and large-scale nautical infrastructure in a single intervention.
Giant concrete caissons in Abu Dhabi
In Abu Dhabi, the project was carried out by the NMDC Group, a UAE company operating in engineering, maritime construction, dredging, and energy, in partnership with the Portuguese company Etermar, specialized in floating reinforced concrete structures.
According to Etermar, the project marked the first quay construction based on concrete caissons in the United Arab Emirates, creating a new technical application for maritime works executed on offshore artificial islands in the country.
The adopted system involved two quay walls, each with 300 meters in length, to form a total of 600 linear meters of berth intended for the docking of large vessels.
To compose this structure, 16 reinforced concrete caissons were used, large modules that function as structural blocks in the formation of maritime walls, port foundations, and docking areas in a coastal environment.
The pieces were not molded directly at the final site of the work, as Etermar reported that the caissons were built at the Mina Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi, on a floating dock mobilized from Portugal.
Once completed, the structures were towed by sea to the offshore artificial island, where the Portuguese company itself carried out the installation of the modules responsible for forming the new quay walls.
Offshore artificial island and mega-yachts over 100 meters
The operation draws attention due to the technical sequence required to transform reinforced concrete floating modules into a fixed base, capable of supporting nautical activities in a constructed area off the coast.
