Saadiyat Island to partially open by year-end - report

The first set of tourism attractions on Abu Dhabi’s AED100bn ($27.22bn) Saadiyat Island will be open to the public by the end of this year, according to a report on Friday.

Kier Riemersma, director of Real Estate Services of the Tourism Development and Investment Co (TDIC), told the Gulf News daily: "We are going to open Manarat Al Saadiyat, the 15,400 square metre visitor centre before the end of this year which will host a gallery and special events."

"Besides, the first phase of the Gary Player Golf Course is also in final stage of completion. A power distribution substation is also ready for power supply. Saadiyat Island is going to be accessible through two major road bridges that directly pass through the 27 square kilometre island as part of its infrastructure is completed to give site access to developers."

TDIC is behind some of Abu Dhabi’s most prestigious projects including two major destinations - Saadiyat Island, which will house the world's largest single concentration of premier cultural institutions including the Zayed National Museum, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Museum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, a performing arts centre and maritime museum, and Desert Islands.

The Saadiyat Island project will be developed in three phases and is due to complete in 2018.