Abu Dhabi's New Cultural Hub

April 2011

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Just 500 metres off the coast of Abu Dhabi City, lies Saadiyat Island, the "Island of Happiness", on which Abu Dhabi's cultural district will be created. This ambitious project aims to present to the world a cultural district like no other. Over the next five years, the island will be transformed by the introduction of a number of prestigious landmarks, designed by some of the world's leading architects: the Louvre Abu Dhabi designed by Jean Nouvel; a Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry; a performing arts centre by Zaha Hadid; the Zayed National Museum designed by Norman Foster; and a Maritime Museum by the Japanese master Tadao Ando.

Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon al-Nahyan, chairman of Abu Dhabi's Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) and a member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family, is behind the cultural initiatives in Saadiyat. Sheikh Sultan says this of the development: "This is the challenging aspect of art...It can change the way you think from time to time. We do not have a problem with that. We believe this challenge is a way to inspire innovation. This is proven."

"The last thing Abu Dhabi wants is to build replicas of western institutions. What we have here is the creation of a new model, that is able to connect different civilisations." The new museums also need to play their part in "sustaining the heritage of the local environment. If not, they will not be credible." Says Rita Aoun-Abdo, TDIC’s cultural director.

Each museum is to have its own specific role, for example, the Guggenheim will examine Arabian, Islamic and other Middle Eastern art in the context of the major developments of the past 100 years. The focus of the Louvre will be as a world museum, where prestigious pieces from its "parent" museum in Paris will be on display. The Zayed National Museum, named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, former ruler of Abu Dhabi and founding father of the Emirates, will tell the story of the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE was founded as a federation under the leadership of Sheikh Zayed in 1971, and the museum which bears his name is perhaps the most interesting project of all on Saadiyat island. The Zayed National Museum's dramatic fan-shaped design by Norman Foster, references the country's love of falconing, and was unveiled during the Queen's visit to Abu Dhabi in November 2010. The museum will display and explore its own identity through its history and traditions. Western support for this project comes in the form of a consultancy role for the British Museum. Under its director, Neil MacGregor, the British Museum has been developing bilateral links and organising loans with foreign museums.

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