Das Island today bears practically no resemblance to the mid 50’s when an advance party landed on the desert island to work in the blistering sun and map every uninviting feature of its rough terrain. An industrial settlement was in the making.

Das, 180 kilometeres from Abu Dhabi city, was selected as a base for the Company’s offshore operations because of the self-cleaning deep water channel located within 700 metres from the island’s east coast and because of its proximity to Umm Shaif and Zakum fields. The island today is a burgeoning industrial complex and a modern dwelling place for the all-male “community of nations” manning it. Most of Das has been bulldozed or blasted to make way for storage tanks, telecommunications masts; power houses; workshops and plants for oil and gas separation; berths; roads and fences; an airport; a heliport; a new police station; modern hospital; and a central amenities building.

In miniature, Das reflects the country’s past and future in more ways than one. From its first rough facilities, the island’s operations grew rapidly as oil exports surged ahead beginning with that momentous event when Abu Dhabi’s first shipment of offshore crude oil was exported from Das terminal on 4th July, 1962.

Early in the 1970s, a decision was made by ADMA-OPCO to improve the quality of life, and create the basis for more comfortable living on the island. The idea was to nourish and consolidate a more cohesive sense of community, and the transition form the old ‘camp’ idea to the new concept was based on some of the most modern living accommodation one can find anywhere in the world.

The Sahil accommodation is located at the southwest corner of Das Island. The area is bounded by are shaped shoreline on the seaside and runway on the landside. Since some of the existing accommodation units were nearing the end of its design life, ADMA-OPCO decided to enhance the life of living and to provide state of the art with high quality, cost effective and durable replacement in a timely and phased manner with minimum disruption to the personnel. The structural finishing is designed to withstand the harsh environmental conditions. Numerous leisure and sports clubs have mushroomed on the island over the years. Off work, the Das sites find more than one outlet to practice their favorite hobbies and pastimes.