Blue Rhine Industries to Install Exosphere LED Wrap at Sphere Abu Dhabi
2026-10-19 · via AV Magazine
Blue Rhine Industries (BRI), a UAE-based AV and digital signage integrator, has been awarded the contract to install and commission the LED screens that make up the Exosphere at Sphere Abu Dhabi. The company calls it the largest scope of work in its 20-year history, and it marks another major LED wrap project for a region that has become a proving ground for large-format outdoor displays.
BRI was selected by ALEC Engineering and Contracting, part of ALEC Holdings, which holds the $1.7 billion main construction contract for the venue. The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is leading development of the project, which is the first Sphere venue outside the United States.
For anyone who has followed the original Sphere in Las Vegas, the scale here is the headline. The Exosphere will wrap around a 112-metre-high building and is described as visible from key vantage points across Abu Dhabi. The venue itself is scheduled for completion in 2029 and will have a 20,000-capacity, hosting concerts, sporting events and exhibitions on Yas Island.
The announcement does not disclose the LED product, pixel pitch, panel supplier, total screen area or the value of BRI's contract. Those details matter to integrators trying to gauge the actual hardware scope behind a project of this size, but none of that is in the release.
Local content angle
DCT Abu Dhabi says the Exosphere is expected to showcase work from Emirati artists, positioning it as a platform for local creative talent alongside entertainment programming. That content ambition echoes how the Las Vegas Sphere has used its exterior as a branding and advertising surface, though the release does not specify whether Abu Dhabi's Exosphere will carry commercial content or advertising.
BRI's track record
Founded in the UAE in 2006, Blue Rhine Industries has moved from traditional signage manufacturing into AV integration, digital signage and wayfinding work. The company's cited portfolio includes the 440-metre curved digital screen at Dubai Fountain during 2025 renovation work, a 70-metre by 14-metre LED installation at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo in The Dubai Mall, and AV and digital signage systems at Zayed International Airport.
John V. Joseph, BRI's CEO, said the Sphere Abu Dhabi project is one of the most ambitious entertainment and AV builds anywhere in the world and credited the company's two decades of regional project experience for winning the trust of ALEC Holdings and DCT Abu Dhabi.
For the wider signage and AV integration market, the award is a reminder that megaproject LED wraps are increasingly going to regional specialists with a long local track record rather than only international names, at least for installation and commissioning scope. What remains unclear from this announcement is who is supplying the LED hardware itself and how the project will be phased ahead of the 2029 completion date.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from AV Magazine for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
By AV Magazine in Displays , MEA , Venues October 19, 2026 0
The UAE-founded AV and digital signage integrator has been selected to install and commission the Exosphere in the largest LED project to date in its 20-year history.
UAE-based pro AV and digital signage specialist Blue Rhine Industries (BRI) has been awarded the contract to install the LED screens that make up Sphere Abu Dhabi’s immense Exosphere.
This AV integration project is the company’s largest scope to date in its 20-year history.
BRI was selected by ALEC Engineering and Contracting, part of ALEC Holdings, to install and commission the Exosphere, an integral part of the $1.7 bn main construction contract for Sphere Abu Dhabi. The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is leading the development of the first Sphere venue outside the United States.
Scheduled for completion in 2029, the 20,000-capacity Sphere Abu Dhabi is set to become a major new attraction on Yas Island, hosting immersive concerts, sporting events and exhibitions.
Sphere Abu Dhabi’s full programmable Exosphere will become a defining feature of the Yas Island skyline, wrapping around the 112-metre high building and visible from key vantage points across Abu Dhabi. Alongside entertainment, the Exosphere is expected to showcase work from Emirati artists, creating a major new platform for celebrating local creative talent and chronicling the UAE’s story.
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.”
Founded in the UAE in 2006, Blue Rhine Industries has grown from its roots in traditional signage manufacturing into a leading professional AV integration, digital signage and wayfinding specialist. Its portfolio includes the 440-metre-long curved digital screen at Dubai Fountain during 2025’s renovation works; the 70-metre wide by 14-metre-tall LED installation at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo at The Dubai Mall; and integrated AV, digital signage, and background audio systems for Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi.