Abu Dhabi’s infrastructure coordinating body has entered an exploratory partnership with The Boring Company (TBC), the advanced tunnelling firm founded by Elon Musk, to assess underground transport networks and utility tunnel solutions across the emirate.
The agreement was signed at the Liveability and Investment Exhibition (LIVEX 2026) in Abu Dhabi by ADPIC Director General H.E. Eng. Maysarah Mahmoud Salim Eid and Steve Davis, President of TBC, in the presence of H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport.
Under the arrangement, the two organisations will evaluate the feasibility of underground infrastructure, exchange technical expertise in tunnel planning, boring technologies, construction methods, safety standards, and digital engineering, and explore Abu Dhabi’s potential as a regional hub for advanced tunnelling. The scope also covers operational models, automation, and infrastructure lifecycle management.
ADPIC currently oversees a capital portfolio exceeding $56 billion and supported the delivery of 100 projects in 2025 alone. Al Shorafa framed the partnership in terms of long-run urban capacity rather than technology for its own sake.
“Infrastructure is one of the most important drivers of future opportunity, enabling cities to grow efficiently, strengthen connectivity and create lasting value for communities. As Abu Dhabi continues to evolve, we remain focused on exploring new approaches that can optimise the use of space, strengthen connectivity across the urban landscape and support sustainable urban growth in a way that meets the needs of future generations. Our partnership with The Boring Company reflects Abu Dhabi’s ambition to combine long-term vision, innovation and global expertise to unlock new possibilities for infrastructure development. We view advanced technologies not as an end in themselves, but as a means of creating lasting value through enhanced mobility, more efficient use of space, greater capacity to accommodate growth and broader opportunities for people and businesses to thrive,” Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of DMT said in a statement.
“Infrastructure is one of the most important enablers of economic growth, competitiveness and quality of life. Our collaboration with The Boring Company provides an opportunity to explore advanced underground transportation and utility tunnel solutions, drawing on global expertise, technical innovation and international best practices to assess their potential role in supporting Abu Dhabi’s future infrastructure requirements and development priorities,” Eng. Maysarah Mahmoud Salim Eid, Director General of ADPIC added.
“Abu Dhabi provides an ideal environment to explore the next generation of underground infrastructure solutions, supported by its ambitious growth vision and strong commitment to advanced technologies. Through our collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre, we look forward to assessing how advanced tunnelling solutions can create new possibilities for transport and utilities, expand urban capacity more efficiently, and enable better use of available space,” Steve Davis, President of The Boring Company further explained.
The agreement stops short of a construction commitment. Both parties are framing the current phase as an assessment and knowledge-sharing exercise, with any project delivery decisions to follow from that analysis.
