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Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi

Saadiyat Island is a large development in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, adjacent to Abu Dhabi city. The project will have a cultural district with the Abu Dhabi Louvre and Guggenheim, a marina, golf courses, beach resorts, commerical, and residential buildings.

• Saadiyat Island is a natural island with mangrove forests, about 500 meters away from the island on which Abu Dhabi city is located.
• Saadiyat is Arabic for 'happiness', a translation that might bewilder some of the labourers on the island according to a May 2009 Human Rights Watch report criticising the conditions under which they work.
• Saadiyat Island area is 27 sq km, with 30 km of coastline. When complete, Saadiyat Island will be the largest single mixed-use development in the Arabian Gulf (says the 31 January 2007 press release).
• Original masterplan has 6 districts, 29 hotels including a 7-star hotel, 3 marinas with total of about 1000 berths, 2 golf courses, and planned population of about 150,000 people.
• Other facilities will include residential apartments and villas, commercial buildings, leisure and entertainment areas.
• Road infrastructure will include two highways, each with 10 lanes, connected to Abu Dhabi city via bridges.
• Total cost of Saadiyat Island development projected to be about AED 100 billion (US $27 billion) in January 2007.

Saadiyat Island Master Plan

Saadiyat Island will have several districts. See map overview.

• Saadiyat Beach - beachfront resort hotels
• Saadiyat Cultural District - art and culture, residential, commercial
• Saadiyat Lagoons
• Saadiyat Marina - commercial district, residential towers, boat harbour
• Saadiyat Promenade
• Saadiyat Reserve - golf course and nature reserve
• Saadiyat Retreat - exclusive residential community

Saadiyat Island Museums and Cultural District

See Saadiyat Island Cultural District for more detailed information.

• Cranleigh Abu Dhabi School a new boarding school (UK curriculum), planned opening date in September 2014, located in the Saadiyat Cultural District.
• Guggenheim Abu Dhabi - designed by Frank Gehry, contemporary art museum
• Louvre Abu Dhabi - designed by Jean Nouvel, classical art museum
• Manarat Al Saadiyat - Saadiyat Island display and exhibition center.
• Maritime Museum Abu Dhabi - designer Tadao Ando
• Performing Arts Center Saadiyat Island - designer Zaha Hadid
• Redwood Nursery School Saadiyat Island - opening September 2013
• Sheikh Zayed National Museum (or Zayed National Museum?) - designed by Lord Norman Foster, about the history of Abu Dhabi
• UAE Pavilion - the UAE display from the 2010 World Expo held in Shanghai, China.

Saadiyat Island Hotels

• Mandarin Oriental Hotel Abu Dhabi - opening date expected in 2013. Facilities include 160 rooms, 35 serviced apartments, 50 residences, health spa, 6 restaurants, private beach club, fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, and access the Saadiyat Beach Golf Course, which will surround the resort (press release 09 February 2010).
• Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas, operator Abu Dhabi National Hotels, located in north part of Saadiyat Island in the Saadiyat Beach Golf Course, with 9 km private beach. Close to the Saadiyat Island Cultural District. It will be the first Park Hyatt resort in the Middle East. Opening date Q4 2011. Facilities include ground area of 18.5 acres, 270 guest rooms, 44 villas, restaurants, conference and events amenities (press release update 13 April 2011).
• St Regis Hotel Saadiyat Island (St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort) - 377 rooms

Monte-Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat

The Collection at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort

• Retail complex with 22 restaurants and shops including a supermarket, pharmacy, hairdressing and nail salon, banking facilities, gift shops.

Saadiyat Island Mall

• 04 Oct 2012 - news reports said that a Saadiyat Island Shopping Mall was planned by the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC). Possibly in the Cultural District near the museums. No further details supplied.

Saadiyat Island NYU

• Saadiyat Island New York University - NYU Abu Dhabi plans to have a purpose built campus on Saadiyat Island completed by 2012 2014.

Saadiyat Island Cultural District Exhibition and Visitor Center

• Manarat Al Saadiyat is a purpose built exhibition building and visitor centre for the Saadiyat Island development, located in the Saadiyat Island Cultural District. From the main Yas Island to Abu Dhabi highway that crosses Saadiyat Island, the turn-off is signposted.
• Excellent display and tour of the Saadiyat Island project, also a display about the Abu Dhabi 2030 plan and vision.
• Manarat Al Saadiyat also used for art exhibitions and other events.

Saadiyat Island Bridge

• The Sheikh Khalifa Bridge connected Saadiyat Island to Abu Dhabi city opened in October 2009, at the Abu Dhabi end of the new expressway that runs across Yas Island and Saadiyat Island between Shahama and Abu Dhabi city.

Saadiyat Island Real Estate and Property

• Jawaher Al Saadiyat villas - first residential community on Saadiyat Island. Phase I has 344 villas available for freehold ownership by GCC Nationals, and on 99 year lease for other citizens, delivery expected late 2011. Villa areas of 3,950-14,994 square feet with 3-6 bedrooms, and the development will have parks, swimming pools and other recreational facilities. Launch prices from AED 6.5 to AED 39 million.

Saadiyat Beach Apartments (Saadiyat Beach Residences)

• Arabian and Mediterranean themed apartment complex with 495 units in 6 buildings for Phase I. Each building has 5 floors?
• Facilities include barbeque areas, children's play areas, gymnasium, landscaping, multi-use court, swimming pool (25 meters), tennis court.
• Construction start date June 2010, completion scheduled for Q4 2011 with show apartments ready by 2Q 2011 when leasing starts.
• Near Saadiyat Beach Marina Village with views of the marina, the island, and/or Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.
• Designer JZMK Partners (USA).
• Support for architectural works, interior design, structural and MEP, landscape architecture sustainability, infrastructure by GHD Group Abu Dhabi.
• Construction of Phase I by Dhabi Contracting Establishment (appointment announced 29 June 2010 press release)

Update 24 September 2012 (press release)

• Leasing of Saadiyat Beach Residences started, available for occupancy in November 2012.
• The residences consist of 6 low-rise apartment buildings in a gated community, being developed in 2 phases, total of 495 units.
• Phase I completed, consists of 285 apartments from 1-3 bedrooms.
• Phase II scheduled for completion in 2013, consists of 210 apartments from 1-4 bedrooms.
• Facilities include car parking, outdoor covered barbecue areas with kitchenettes, lap and children's swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, multi-purpose courts, gymnasiums, prayer rooms for males and females.
• Apartments in two different styles - Arabesque with an Arabic theme, and Mediterranean with, not surprisingly, a Mediterranean theme (apartments have terracotta tiles). Apartment design by GHD.
• Community facilities expected to open in 2013 include a nursery preschool, an international school, shopping center (with supermarket, pharmacy, hair and nail salon, and coffee shop), mosque, and ladies beach club.

Saadiyat Beach Villas

• Adjacent to the Saadiyat Beach Residences apartments, and near the Saadiyat Beach Golf Views.
• Luxury villas in gated communities.

Saadiyat Beach Golf Views

• An area in the Saadiyat Island golf course with plots of land for sale for owners to build their own huts.

Saadiyat Beach Marina Village

• Facilities include cafes, community center, grocery store, medical centre, nursery school, restaurants, shopping area in central plaza, yacht club
• Marina capacity of 150 boats and yachts

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club

• Saadiyat Beach Golf Club (SBGC) opening date for the public on 01 March 2010.
• Location in the Saadiyat Beach area of Saadiyat Island, with several beach resort hotels within the golf course for target practice.
• Area of golf course is 12 hectares.
• Developer of golf course is Tourism Development & Investment Company of Abu Dhabi (TDIC).
• Designed by Gary Player, managed by Troon Golf who also manage the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
• Audubon certification applied for.
• Summer Passport Program 2010
• Golf Academy building includes restaurant and bar, male and female locker rooms, golf shop.
• Saadiyat Beach Golf Clubhouse to be designed by Frank Gehry (also designed the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island), opening date scheduled for 2013. Area 18,000 sq meters. Clubhouse will include a 25-room boutique hotel, 2 restaurants, spa and golf shop (press release 27 January 2010).
• Other facilities include floodlit driving range, chipping practice area, and putting green.
• Hawksbill Restaurant - open 0600-2200 daily. Opening date May or June 2010?
• Director of Golf at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is Paul Booth.
• Saadiyat Beach Classic charity tournament - on 28 January 2010, hosted by Gary Player. Attendees included Rory McIlroy, Sam Torrance OBE, Darren Clarke, Peter Mitchell, Costantino Rocca, Catriona Matthe, Melissa Reid, Maria Verchenova, and Henrietta Zuel. Also Gavin Hastings (rugby), Victor Matfield (rugby), Allan Lamb (cricket), Sarah Stirk (BBC presenter). Tickets from website www.saadiyatbeachclassic.com.
• SBGC contact details Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, PO Box 51545, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Tel: +971-2-5578000, fax: +971-2-5578001, email: info@sbgolfclub.ae.

Saadiyat Island Resort

Saadiyat Island Map

Saadiyat Island history and timeline

Update 29 October 2011 - TDIC issued a statement to say that the cultural district museum opening dates (were expected to be from 2013-2014) would be delayed (new dates not supplied).

• 2018 - scheduled completion date for everything according to January 2007 press release. Probably unlikely.
• 2014 - NYU Abu Dhabi Saadiyat Island campus planned completion date (delayed from 2012)
• 2013 - Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Louvre Abu Dhabi planned completion date
• 2012 - Sheikh Zayed National Museum planned completion date
• 2011 - Rotana Resort and St Regis Resort on Saadiyat Beach expected completion date
• 2010 - Manarat Al Saadiyat Visitor Center opens
• 2009 - Saadiyat Beach Gold Club planned completion date, delayed to 2010
• 2004, January - Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority announces the Saadiyat Island project.

Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) Abu Dhabi

• The Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) was founded to manage tourism investment zones, including Saadiyat Island, for the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA).
• TDIC is an independent public joint stock company established by Law No 12 of 2005 decreed by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the UAE.
• TDIC will sell plots of land on Saadiyat Island to private investors who will be expected to develop their site in accordance with the Saadiyat Island masterplan, planning regulations, and design guidelines.
• TDIC was launched with an initial paid-up capital of AED 100 million (US $27.5 million). The sole shareholder of TDIC is the ADTA. TDIC projects are expected to be self-sustaining and economically feasible.
• TDIC activities include creating development and tourism related concepts for specific sites and locations, disposing of, or repositioning, government-owned tourism related assets, entering into joint ventures with investment partners for assets such as hotels or residential products, as well as serving as the master developer for large scale projects (press release 31 January 2007).

Last update Monday 25-Nov-2013. Page development 3D 4L 5C.

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