Global capital of culture

Abu Dhabi aims to attract 3 million visitors per year by 2013, and the heart of the emirate’s tourism development strategy is the promotion of culture. Setting itself apart from its neighbor, Dubai, which has focused its tourism efforts on shopping and entertainment offerings, Abu Dhabi has taken the high road and budgeted billions to establish itself as the region’s cultural hub.

The Emirates Foundation, set up by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, is harnessing the forces of the public and private sector to stimulate a wide range of innovative projects, including ones involving culture and the arts. It is just one of the emirate’s forward-thinking initiatives to position itself as a capital of culture.

Saadiyat Island: International cultural center

The cornerstone of Abu Dhabi’s culture drive is Saadiyat Island (“Island of Happiness”), a USD 29 billion luxury mixed-use development by Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC). Saadiyat Island will be the home of branches of the Louvre and Guggenheim museums, a branch of New York University, a world-class performing arts center and concert hall, and many other high-profile cultural offerings. “The market that Abu Dhabi is seeking to attract is educated, sophisticated people who are interested in the culture of the UAE,” says Lawrence Franklin, Director of Strategy at the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.

Joining the Louvre and the Guggenheim will be Sheikh Zayed National Museum, showcasing local culture, as well as the Abu Dhabi World Center for Drama, a maritime museum and a park with pavilions devoted to culture and the arts.

Saadiyat Island, which is set for completion by 2018, will eventually house around 150,000 residents and will be connected to Abu Dhabi via two ten-lane causeways. It will include many entertainment and sports venues, including a Gary Player-designed 18-hole championship golf course and golf academy along the beach.

Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage

H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan

Spearheading Abu Dhabi’s cultural developments is the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), established in 2005 and headed by H.E. Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman. ADACH was created as part of the Abu Dhabi Cultural Heritage Management Strategy, a five-year program prepared by a UNESCO-led team working closely with local experts.

ADACH aims to promote the UAE’s cultural heritage and to be the leading cultural development organization in the region. Internationally, it is contributing to the strengthening of intercultural dialogue and the appreciation of different cultures by developing projects that encourage the sharing of cultural traditions and experience.

It is working to preserve the UAE’s architectural and archaeological assets, including Qasr al-Hosn tower, the oldest stone structure in Abu Dhabi, as well as to foster the creation of Emirati and international arts, music, literature and cinema, for the benefit of people in the Arab world and beyond. One of its guiding principles is cultural diversity, in honor of the diversity of the Abu Dhabi community.

Explaining ADACH’s mission, H.H. Sheikh Sultan says, “At a time when Abu Dhabi is witnessing unprecedented development, the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage reinforces the willingness of the people of the UAE to preserve their national identity and cultural values. It also reinforces the role of national culture in enriching tomorrow’s cultural environment. The creation of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage embodies, above all, the vision of His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to preserve and promote the identity and local culture of the people of the UAE.”

ADACH’s projects include the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, the Kalima Qalam Poetry Academy, the Prince of the Million television program on poetry, the Prince of Poetry contest, the Middle East International Film Festival, the Abu Dhabi Art Paris art show, the New York Film Academy in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Classics music festival, the Bait Al Oud to promote the traditions of oud (Middle Eastern lute) performance, the Sounds of Arabia music festival, a project to promote traditional handicrafts, and many other projects.

Branch of the Guggenheim

Many of Abu Dhabi’s cultural and arts projects involve ties with New York. The Abu Dhabi Guggenheim, for example, will be the bigger sibling of the New York City institution; housed in a USD 400 million structure designed by American architect Frank Gehry, the Abu Dhabi Guggenheim will, at more than 450,000 sq ft, be the biggest Guggenheim museum in the world. It will be ideally located on the northwestern tip of Saadiyat Island, surrounded on three sides by the Gulf.

The museum will include a permanent collection and special-exhibitions galleries; a center for art and technology; a center for contemporary Arab, Islamic, and Middle Eastern culture; an education facility; a research center; and a state-of-the-art conservation laboratory. In line with Abu Dhabi’s commitment to sustainable development, the museum’s design incorporates sustainable elements appropriate for the region, including natural cooling and ventilation of covered courtyards derived from the concept of traditional wind towers found throughout the Middle East.

New York University in Abu Dhabi

The New York University branch in Abu Dhabi will be an additional link between the emirate and New York City. NYU Abu Dhabi will be a full-scale liberal arts college with select graduate programs as well. The college will eventually serve 2,000 students, and the first class will be enrolled in the fall of 2010. New York University will join Yale University and France’s Sorbonne in setting up educational institutions in Abu Dhabi.

Another New York presence in Abu Dhabi will be the New York Film Academy, the world’s biggest film school and international center for film training. Students at NYFA-Abu Dhabi will learn about all aspects of the film industry, both creative and technical. Courses will include the film industry, acting, scenario writing, 3D animation, production and documentary film making. As the New York Film Academy states, “This exciting collaboration between ADACH and NYFA will play a pivotal role in the development of film-making skills and enrich the cultural life of the Gulf and Middle East for years to come.”

Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation

Visitors to Abu Dhabi can experience the emirate’s rich cultural heritage at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, located next to historic Qasr al-Hosn tower. The foundation is housed in a modern building of Islamic design with arching white colonnades, cool courtyards and restful gardens. It includes an important library, theater, cinema, lecture rooms, meeting rooms, an exhibition center and a coffee shop, and it hosts numerous cultural events throughout the year, including concerts with international and local artists, classic film festivals, art exhibitions and workshops.

Building bridges to the world

Projects like these illustrate Abu Dhabi’s continuing commitment to opt for world-class, sustainable development that showcases culture. Zaki Nusseibeh, Vice Chairman of the ADACH, explains that the emirate’s cultural development strategy “is part of Abu Dhabi’s plans for the cultural and educational development of its young people, and its goal is to build bridges to the world, balancing its traditions and heritage as an Islamic and Arab country with a truly global cultural outlook that embraces the world.”