NMDC Dredging & Marine, a subsidiary of NMDC Group, has inaugurated the NMDC Coastal & Hydrodynamic Center, the region’s first hydraulic physical modelling test facility.
The new center enables advanced coastal and marine engineering validation locally, reducing dependence on international laboratories.
Unveiled at Make it in the Emirates (MIITE) 2026, the purpose-built facility aims to enhance in-country value and localize strategic engineering capabilities.
It allows for the simulation and physical testing of complex marine, coastal, and offshore infrastructure under controlled conditions, supporting national priorities to develop advanced industrial expertise and strengthen domestic value across key strategic sectors.
The facility allows engineers to simulate and validate the impact of waves, tides, and currents on critical infrastructure, including ports, breakwaters, sea walls, and offshore structures. Using scaled physical models to replicate real-world environments, it ensures that model behavior reflects full-scale performance, including wave forces, pressures, and structural response, enabling designs to be tested, refined, and optimized before construction.
The facility, constructed entirely by NMDC Infra, the specialist construction subsidiary of NMDC Group, supports the Group’s end-to-end engineering and delivery capabilities, demonstrating that NMDC Group possesses the expertise and capacity to conceptualize, build, and operationalize highly specialized infrastructure entirely within its own ecosystem.
Dr. Yasser Zaghloul Group CEO – NMDC Group
“The launch of this pioneering facility is a strategic milestone in our commitment to building long-term, sovereign capabilities within the UAE by institutionalizing advanced engineering expertise and cutting-edge testing methodologies. Operating as the first and only integrated commercial laboratory of its scale in the Middle East and West Asia, the facility features a sophisticated 3D wave basin and a 2D wave flume. These advanced hydraulic installations leverage ultra-precise digital wave-generation systems to stress-test fixed and floating structures under the most severe operational and environmental conditions.”
“The facility’s capabilities span the entire project lifecycle—from foundational research to macro-project validation encompassing wave transformation and overtopping dynamics, sediment transport, hydro-erosion, and port optimization under diverse navigational conditions,” Dr. Zaghloul added.
Beyond project delivery, the facility enables advanced research and consultancy, supporting collaboration with leading international partners and academic institutions, including opportunities for research, student engagement, and knowledge development. It also supports the development and testing of offshore renewable energy systems, including wave, tidal, and floating wind technologies.
