Saadiyat project may be scaled back
Lee Tabler, CEO of Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), has said that some of the plans for the Saadiyat Island development – the emirate’s ambitious new cultural district – may be abandoned due to uncertainty over budgets.
Saadiyat – which translates from Arabic as ‘Island of Happiness’ – is a 27 sq km island 500 metres offshore from Abu Dhabi city. It is being developed under the direction of the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) as a flagship initiative in the emirate’s economic diversification.
The total cost of the entire island project, which is funded by the Abu Dhabi government and enabled by the TDIC, is thought to be around $27bn.But Tabler did not recognise this figure and said that no actual budget has been set by the government, and that some of the proposed plans could be abandoned.
“Some things may fall out – we don’t know,” said Tabler. “We don’t know what the cost of the museums will be. For buildings such as these, there is a premium per square metre on normal office buildings.”Five museums and galleries are planned for the island, including the world’s largest Guggenheim gallery. Source
Saadiyat – which translates from Arabic as ‘Island of Happiness’ – is a 27 sq km island 500 metres offshore from Abu Dhabi city. It is being developed under the direction of the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) as a flagship initiative in the emirate’s economic diversification.
The total cost of the entire island project, which is funded by the Abu Dhabi government and enabled by the TDIC, is thought to be around $27bn.But Tabler did not recognise this figure and said that no actual budget has been set by the government, and that some of the proposed plans could be abandoned.
“Some things may fall out – we don’t know,” said Tabler. “We don’t know what the cost of the museums will be. For buildings such as these, there is a premium per square metre on normal office buildings.”Five museums and galleries are planned for the island, including the world’s largest Guggenheim gallery. Source
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