What is that giant sculpture submerged in water that has popped up near Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena?

The capital's residents were surprised to see the new installation near the promenade

Large sculpture coming out of the water at Yas Bay Waterfront in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Large sculpture coming out of the water at Yas Bay Waterfront in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Large sculpture coming out of the water at Yas Bay Waterfront in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Large sculpture coming out of the water at Yas Bay Waterfront in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Large sculpture coming out of the water at Yas Bay Waterfront in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

A giant, bronze-coloured sculpture that's submerged in water has mysteriously popped up at Yas Bay Waterfront in Abu Dhabi.

The large sculpture with its head and a hand coming out of the water sits by the promenade behind Etihad Arena.

A photo of the installation was shared by an Abu Dhabi resident on the popular Facebook group Abu Dhabi Q&A. It drew a lot of interest as people wondered where it had come from and what it meant.

One user joked that it meant "bald men can swim", while another commented on its similarity to the anime Attack on Titan. Other people speculated on how it could more likely relate to the country's history of pearl diving.

Information about the artwork and its artist has not been revealed. The National has sent a request to Yas Bay Waterfront property developer Miral.

The area is an ongoing project that will soon feature a pedestrianised promenade with about 40 cafes and restaurants, plus retail outlets.

This isn't the first public artwork to be revealed on Yas Island. On Monday, Miral revealed the artist's name behind the huge mural on the walls of nightclub Mad.

Called The Humans, the black-and-white mural was created by Indian-Canadian street artist Fathima Mohiuddin, also known as Fatspatrol, who grew up in the UAE.

"When you look across the wall at the different heads, you see the dreamers, the visionaries, the jokers," she says in a video posted on Miral's social platforms. "If you look at every human being as their own universe, they are really quite beautiful."

Mohiuddin, who has created murals around the world, including in Canada, Jordan, Australia and Ireland, is also creating a series of seven murals for Miral on Yas Island, all under the theme of birds of the UAE. She shared the first giant bird mural called The Desert Partridge on her Instagram account.

More art projects on Yas Island are set to be revealed in the coming months.

Take a look around different areas on Yas Island here: