The article explores how Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) can enhance the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, especially in providing a monitoring framework. The researchers conducted a SEA on a port and industrial zone master plan in Abu Dhabi, UAE, which is a unique case as it was privately funded and one of the first in the Middle East. The SEA was followed by an EIA of the same development, allowing for the adaptation of the SEA process and maximizing synergies between the two assessments.