While nearby Dubai has caught the world’s media attention with its over-the-top developments, Abu Dhabi has been quietly planning its transformation into a world-class luxury travel and business destination. The Abu Dhabi 2030 Urban Design Framework Plan will see the city change into a modern metropolis, complete with trams, rotating towers and developments in the sea.
One of these, Saadiyat Area, is spearheading the transformation of Abu Dhabi into a world-class tourism destination with a cultural emphasis.
It is here that a new US$27 billion cultural district will be located, which will contain museums, art galleries and performing arts centres. These will include the Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and estimated to open in 2012, and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi contemporary art museum, designed by Frank Gehry. It is scheduled for completion in 2011 and is set to become the largest Guggenheim museum in the world.
Abu Dhabi has various attractions worth verifying out, such as the wonderful Corniche (beach), the Al Hisn Fort, Breakwater Island and Sheikh Zayed’s palace.
Many of the city’s top-class hotels and restaurants, such as the prestigious Emirates Palace Hotel, allegedly the most costly in the world, are located along the downtown section of the Corniche, overlooking the many sandy islets that are quickly undergoing development.