https://www.arabianbusiness.com: A UAE-based company has secured the contract to install the giant LED exterior of Sphere Abu Dhabi, the $1.7bn entertainment development being built on Yas Island.

Blue Rhine Industries (BRI), a professional audiovisual and digital signage specialist founded in the UAE, has been selected by ALEC Engineering and Contracting to install and commission the venue’s Exosphere.

The fully programmable LED display will wrap around the exterior of the 112-metre-high building, transforming its surface into a digital canvas for entertainment, art and visual content.

The appointment represents the largest project scope in Blue Rhine Industries’ 20-year history.

Sphere Abu Dhabi, which is being developed under the leadership of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, is scheduled for completion in 2029.

Sphere Abu Dhabi to feature giant programmable LED exterior
The Exosphere will form one of the most prominent features of the planned entertainment destination.

Designed as a fully programmable exterior display, it will allow the building’s surface to present changing visual content, including entertainment experiences and digital artwork.

The exterior is also expected to showcase work by Emirati artists, providing a platform for local creative talent.

Blue Rhine Industries will be responsible for installing and commissioning the LED screens that form the Exosphere.

The company was appointed by ALEC Engineering and Contracting, part of ALEC Holdings, which holds the main construction contract valued at $1.7bn. The value of Blue Rhine Industries’ subcontract was not disclosed.

Sphere Abu Dhabi opening plan
Sphere Abu Dhabi is scheduled for completion in 2029.

The 20,000-capacity entertainment venue is being developed on Yas Island and will be the first Sphere venue outside the United States.

Based on the concept introduced in Las Vegas, the Abu Dhabi development is intended to host immersive concerts, sporting events and exhibitions.

The Exosphere will provide a separate visual experience outside the venue, complementing the entertainment taking place inside.

John V. Joseph, CEO of Blue Rhine Industries, said: “As a UAE-founded company, we are proud to be bringing the Sphere Abu Dhabi Exosphere to life by installing the LEDs across the 112-metre-high exterior facade. It is an incredible milestone for our team to partner with ALEC Holdings to support DCT Abu Dhabi in delivering this landmark entertainment destination to the UAE.

“Sphere Abu Dhabi is one of the most ambitious entertainment and AV projects being developed anywhere in the world. We have grown alongside this region for more than two decades and our team is honoured to be trusted to contribute to a project of this significance.

“Projects of this scale demand specialist AV knowledge, technical precision and the ability to integrate complex technology within equally complex built environments. BRI has demonstrated these capabilities consistently across 20 years of delivering major AV and digital signage projects across the Middle East.”