Abu Dhabi’s mega projects facing delays
The oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi will stagger completion of a museums complex, including satellites of the Louvre and Guggenheim.
The government agency in charge of developing the Saadiyat Cultural District, said the plan to open the museums between 2013-2014 was delayed “due to the immense magnitude of the work associated with the development of such consequential projects”.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi, the result of a formal treaty between Abu Dhabi and France, is officially scheduled for a 2013 opening, but officials acknowledge that it is likely to be delayed at least a year.
The decision to delay the National Museum and the Guggenheim was based on a desire to create separate opening events for each museum, more than any funding issues, said Shaun O'Connor, chief financial officer for Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), the master developer of the project.
"It makes more sense to bring these to market separately as each museum has a chance to build a following," said O'Connor.
"We do not have financial issues and we are not constrained,” he told The National newspaper.
The museums are to be the centrepiece of the Saadiyat project, which is designed to serve as the cultural centre of Abu Dhabi.
Plans call for art, theatre and heritage complexes, hotels and retail outlets. The 2,600-hectare island development will also include housing for more than 145,000 people.
Ian Jarrett
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