Abu Dhabi

Rebranding and progress

EMMA RAWLINGS SMITH

RAWLINGS.EMMA@HOTMAIL.CO.UK

BRITISH SCHOOL - AL KHUBAIRAT

GA POST 16 & HE COMMITTEE
 Outline

URBAN GROWTH OF ABU DHABI

GREEN CITIES – MASDAR INITIATIVE
CULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS ON SAADIYAT
F O R M U L A 1 TM A B U D H A B I G R A N D P R I X O N Y A S
 Arabian
ArabianGulf
Gulf

Abu Dhabi

NASA public domain

Abu Dhabi is capital of the largest of the seven emirates that make up the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) and it is the administrative center of the emirates with the
same name. The United Arab Emirates is home to 4.7 million people (UN 2010),
75% of which are foreign workers.
 Abu Dhabi
‘Desert outpost to modern paragon’ in 50 years

A modern Al-Barjeel wind tower

1960s

Insert images of Abu Dhabi

from the 1960s
What factors have aided rapid
growth in Abu Dhabi?
• Oil - currently oil reserves are worth$12 trillion
• Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan – left a
legacy of pro-western modernisation and
diversification away from an economy based on
hydrocarbons
• Technology including desalinisation and A/C are
available and essential for life in an arid
environment fuelled by the region’s access to
cheap energy
• Location – 80% of the global population live no
more than 7 hours away by plane
• Movement of goods and people – The ports of
Kizad and Jebel Ali are centrally located to receive
and re-export goods by ship.
Source: E Smith
Urban development
• Abu Dhabi continues to construct high-
end residential and business properties.
• Demand in the city still outstrips supply.
• The lifespan of a building in Abu Dhabi
was only 25 yrs, but is increasing.
•Much of the new development is in the
Capital District and ‘off’ island.

10 000 commuters arrive daily

in the city from Dubai where
property can be half the price

Source: E Smith
 iconic architecture

The Grand Mosque Aldar HQ – The Smartie

Capital Gate ADNEC

Landmark the tallest building in Abu Dhabi

 Masdar City
Sustainable
Masdar was designed
development: by Foster & Partners
green cities $15 billion has been
invested into the
Masdar Initiative.
“Abu Dhabi is Read the Spring 2011
becoming justifiably Edition of Geography
renowned as a hub Matters available from
the Post 16 committee
for progress… we are on the GA website for
on the brink of an more information.
exciting sustainable
The Estidama Pearl
future - clean energy Rating System is used
for all” HE Ban Ki- in the UAE to rate
Moon, Secretary sustainable built
General, UN @WFES environments on a
scale of 1 to 5. Masdar
reaches the 5 Pearl
standard.
 Sustainable futures: the Masdar Initiative
Established in 2006, Masdar has built upon the green vision of the
UAE’s founding father. Through five integrated units Masdar aims to
be the world’s benchmark for sustainable development.

Masdar City
Once completed in 2016 the 7 sq km Masdar City will
house 40 000 residence and 1 500 businesses working in
the cleantech field. As Abu Dhabi diversifies its energy
sector, it is hoped that the zero-carbon zero-waste project
will create 70 000 new jobs and increase the emirate’s
GDP by more than 2% pa. The rapid transit is fuelled by a
10MW photovoltaic solar farm.

PRT car designed by Zagato, unveiled recently at the World Future Energy Summit
 The Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system uses driverless pods to
transport people across Masdar City. Only electric cars will be allowed.
ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION

‘ABU DHABI’S NON-OIL SECTOR IS TO

EXCEED 64% OF GDP. BY 2030 ABU DHABI
WILL SEE THE ECONOMY DIVERSIFYING
ACROSS SEVERAL NON-OIL SECTORS,
INCLUDING THE FINANCIAL SECTOR; THE
UAE AS A TRADING NODE (KIZAD);
TOURISM AND CULTURAL SECTORS’ ABU
DHABI REPORT URBAN PLANNING COUNCIL 2009
 Cultural developments 2016?
The Island of Saadiyat will host the cultural hub of Abu Dhabi with the
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by Frank Gehry; the Louvre Abu Dhabi
designed by Jean Nouvel; the Performing Arts Center designed by Zaha
Hadid; and the Zayed National Museum designed by Norman Foster and
unveiled by the HRH Queen Elizabeth in Abu Dhabi in November 2010.

Models shown are for the

hotels and links golf course
developments on Saadiyat
Island which will complement
the cultural district designed
by the Abu Dhabi
government department -
TDIC. There will be nine five-
star hotels in place by 2020.
The Hyatt should open by
the end of 2011.
 Zayed National
Museum

THE MUSEUM IS DEDICATED TO THE LATE GREAT FOUNDER OF

THE UAE SHEIKH ZAYED BIN SULTAN AL NAHYAN AND WILL
SHOWCASE EXHIBITS FROM THE BRITISH MUSEUM
 Tourism Rebranding
A total of 1.81 million guests stayed in Abu Dhabi’s 114 hotels in 2010.
Guest nights rose to 5.13 million – 19% up on 2009 contributing $1.15
billion or 10% to the emirate’s overall non-oil GDP

Yas Marina

Saadiyat Marina

ABU DHABI IS PLANNING A 20 YEAR EXPANSION FOCUSING

ON DEVELOPING TOURISM. THE ABU DHABI 2030 PLAN AIMS
FOR 7.9 MILLION HOTEL GUESTS STAYING IN 80 000 ROOMS,
THE GOVERNMENT HOPES TO SET UP 45 MARINAS WITH
ENOUGH SPACE TO CATER TO 10,000 LUXURY YACHTS.

Data: ADTA Feb 2011

 Yas.ae
Yas is known for the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
Grand Prix; the recent opening of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
and the arrival of the Yas Island Show Weekends. Room
occupancy in 2010 reached 74.2% with room rates of $279
The 2010 race was televised across 188 countries and attracted 254 million viewers ADTA 2011
Developing free public space ... The Corniche
Beach Development will be extended to 8km.
 Risk and Insecurity in Abu Dhabi
The Federal National Council of the UAE
set up by Sheik Zayed bin Sultan al
Nahyan has representatives from the
Sunni Nationals including the Al Nahyan
royal family

“The U.A.E. and Qatar are the only places

Abu Dhabi sits on 100 billion barrels
or 9% of global oil supplies.
that have not seen any form of protests, and
I think it does strengthen the argument of
the U.A.E and Dubai in particular being the
natural hub for businesses working across
the Middle East,” said Simon Williams, a
Dubai-based economist at HSBC Holdings.

UAE President and ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan
Rebranding and progress in
Abu Dhabi
In 2011 the United Arab Emirates will be
celebrating it’s 40th birthday.

The Abu Dhabi Plan 2030 written by the

Urban Planning Council is a very
impressive vision for the city. With the
opening of Ferrari world in 2010, Yas is
squarely on the global sport calendar.
Developments at Masdar and Saadiyat are
well underway, with the golf links and
exhibition space at Manarat al Saadiyat
attracting greater numbers every month.

Time will see whether take-up by tourists

matches the ambitious predictions Abu
Dhabi Tourist Board publish.
Not everything always goes to plan...

E.Smith
Resources:

Masdar website:
http://www.masdar.ae

Yas Island website:

http://www.yasisland.ae/

Saadiyat Island website:

http://www.saadiyat.ae/en/

Guardian Article focussed on Masdar: All pictures in this

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/dec/19/no PowerPoint were taken
rman-foster-masdar-city-review by myself, unless
otherwise stated. They
The Urban Planning Council Public Realm Design can only be used in the
Manual (lengthy but detailed) context given and cannot
http://www.upc.gov.ae/prdm/common/docs/Public%20R be edited or republished.
ealm%20Design%20Manual.pdf © E. Rawlings Smith