Musaffah is an industrial town to the southwest of Abu Dhabi

Musaffah is an industrial town to the southwest of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Also known as Musaffah Sanaiya, it is one of the most important economic areas of the United Arab Emirates and has been designated a special economic zone, with numerous factories and port.

Mussafah was a small industrial area in the 1970s. A 1980 MEED report described it as “a maze of roads and half-completed buildings” where industrial operations principally comprised workshops, service and maintenance facilities. The report stated that a pipe plant proposal in the area had strong local backing

In 2011, Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) officially handed over the landmark 53-kilometre long Mussafah Channel project to Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) for operational use. The development of the $411 million (AED1.5 billion) deepwater Musaffah Port and Musaffah Channel included a new general cargo terminal at the northwest corner of the Musaffah Industrial Area, as well as an extensive waterfront occupied by numerous private berths and terminals. Mussafah Shabiya is a fast-growing residential area with apartments and villas.

Mussafah is situated some 20 km south-east of the centre of Abu Dhabi and is a satellite town.On the eastern side is Mohammed Bin Zayed City and to the south is ICAD II and Al Maqatrah. The E30 road passes on its eastern side, between Mussafah and Mohammed Bin Zayed City. A road and rail system exists between Mussafah and Taweelah. 88 towers exist on either side of the 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) section of highway between the Mussafah Bridge and the highway interchange for the industrial estate. The bridge has two identical components which comprise, in addition to a carriageway, a foot-way 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in width.Mussafah’s aesthetic qualities have been criticised by many.One author said that the “semi-industrial areas like Mussafah have morphed into grimy shanty-towns for thousands. The cramped, dirty quarters are hot, pungent and a long way from the smart, iridescent blocks of the city.