STEP INTO TOMORROW

MUSEUMS

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi e stunning Louvre Abu Dhabi which opened in 2017 remains one of the emirate’s cultural highlights. ere are several other highpro le museums currently being built in Abu Dhabi. ese include the Natural History Museum and the Zayed National Museum. As of October last year, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Miral said that around a fourth of the construction on the Natural History Museum was completed and it was estimated to open in 2025. Highlights at that museum include Stan, the 11.7m-tall Tyrannosaurus rex, and also the Murchison meteorite which contains particles dating back seven billion years. e Zayed National Museum meanwhile will illustrate the story of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE, and will also showcase the human and natural history of the UAE. A highly anticipated opening though is the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi which will be dedicated to modern and contemporary art and is expected to open in 2025. e US$1 billion museum is designed by Frank Gehry and will reportedly consist of 28 galleries spread over 11,600 sqm. e Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will also feature an additional 23,000 sqm of exhibition spaces within the cones and terraces that make up the structure of the building.

TRANSPORT Etihad Rail

Of all the transport projects currently underway in the UAE, Etihad Rail which will serve as a national cargo and passenger rail network connecting the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated. Operating at a speed of 200kph, the passenger services will connect 11 locations within the UAE including Ruwais, Al Mirfa, Fujairah, Sharjah, Al Dhaid and Abu Dhabi. e train can, in theory, travel from Abu Dhabi to Dubai in 50 minutes, and from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah in 100 minutes. By 2030, more than 36.5 million passengers are expected to use this railway network annually. In September last year, Etihad Rail and Oman Rail signed an agreement to build a US$3 billion passenger and freight railway line that connects Abu Dhabi with Sohar located to the north of Muscat.

RETAIL Reem Mall

In a country that has constructed some of the world’s largest and most architecturally impressive malls, it’s a tough ask to build a retail space that still amazes. But that’s the brief that the upcoming Reem Mall in Abu Dhabi seems to be following. Located on Reem Island, the US$1.2 billion Reem Mall will, upon completion, feature 85 dining options and over 450 stores spread across 2 million sq of retail space. Last year, while work was still progressing on the mall, a Carrefour hypermarket opened within it. e highlight of the mall though will be the Snow Abu Dhabi attraction which is being touted as one of the world’s largest snow parks. Expect 12 rides and 17 attractions spread across 10,000 sq . e temperature will be maintained at 2ºC, and the slopes will be covered in 500mm thick snow.

HOSPITALITY Nobu Hospitality

A total of 4.1 million hotel visitors stayed in Abu Dhabi hotels last year, a 24 per cent year-on-year increase. Hotel revenues climbed by 23 per cent from the previous year to reach Dhs5.4 billion in 2022. ere are several hotels in Abu Dhabi that cater to a wide variety of tastes – from island resorts and those located amidst wildlife, to themed hotels and others built next to some of the emirate’s most popular attractions. An exciting upcoming hotel which is scheduled to open this year on the private Al Nawras Island in Abu Dhabi is Hilton’s LXR Hotels and Resorts brand. e all-villa resort will o er 80 beach and water villas, as well as a 450 sqm, two-bedroom Royal Villa surrounding a golf course. Further down the line, in 2026, the Robert De Niro-backed Nobu Hospitality will be bringing its famous restaurant, beach club, branded residences and a 165-key hotel to the emirate. Aldar Properties has partnered with Nobu Hospitality to open this project on Mamsha beach on Saadiyat island, which is a part of Saadiyat Grove.

Sound and light installations, multi-media content and even curated cocktails will all feature as part of an upcoming exhibition by Jaeger-LeCoultre in Dubai that will explore the link between celestial complications and watchmaking