A newly unveiled timetable for the opening of Saadiyat Island’s landmark museums promises the long-delayed cultural projects will be completed by 2017.

The capital’s arm of the Louvre Museum is expected to be the first for completion, with an opening date of 2015. The Zayed National Museum will follow with an opening in 2016, and the Guggenheim is expected to open in 2017.

The revised delivery dates come just three months after the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), the island’s master developer, said construction on the museums was stalled.

Though delayed, TDIC officials insisted none of the projects had been scrapped. The Louvre and Guggenheim museums were initially expected to be finished by 2014, and the national museum later that year.

“We are fully confident that we will fulfil our promise of delivering the level of museums expected from TDIC, the Saadiyat Cultural District and Abu Dhabi,” said Mubarak Al Muhairi, the general manager of TDIC.

He added that the authority “is ready to plan a new implementation process for the museums”.

The new chronology for the Saadiyat Cultural District centrepieces comes on the heels of an Executive Council announcement earlier this week that budgets and expected opening dates for the museums were finalised.

TDIC and the Executive Council called for a plan with a staggered timetable to allow each museum to gain its own following.

The cultural district is envisioned as the gem of Saadiyat Island, one of TDIC’s flagship development projects, and is advertised as featuring “the world’s largest single concentration of premier cultural institutions when complete”.

The island will eventually house an estimated 145,000 residents and all construction is expected to be completed by 2020. More info

Starwood’s first St. Regis-branded property, the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort Abu Dhabi, opened on December 26.

St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort Abu Dhabi

The hotel, which was initially scheduled to open in November, is the sponsor hotel for the Volvo Ocean Race, which comes to Abu Dhabi on December 31.

“The St. Regis Saadiyat Island has been chosen as the sponsor hotel in Abu Dhabi for the Volvo Ocean Race, perhaps the most prestigious ocean yacht race in the world. This will no doubt be an amazing event for Abu Dhabi in January and is expected to bring thousands of visitors to the Emirate. For us, it will provide great exposure both globally and locally for the hotel,” general manager John Pelling told Hotelier Middle East in September.

The UAE staved off a stiff challenge from the United Kingdom team to narrowly clinch the UK v UAE Challenge Match at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club - The 16th hole 'Seaview'

Led by Khalid Yousuf and the Al Musharrekh brothers, Ahmed and Hassan, the home side won 6.5 to 5.5 in the event, which followed the four-ball, better-ball format. Joel Neale, who recently turned professional, and Alison White recorded the biggest win of the day when they thumped Andrew Coltart and Hayley Davis 5-and-3 to set the tone for the home side on the Gary Player-designed course.

The Al Musharrekh brothers made their presence felt, clinching their respective ties with ease. Ahmed, who plays off a plus-three handicap, combined with Rory Blincow to beat Rod Gilmour and Oliver Carr 3-and-2, while Hassan, paired with James Sayer, accounted for Brogan Townend and Lesley Atkins 3-and-1.

The UAE duo of Lindsay Brown and Franco Botha were too good for the UK pairing of Amy Boulden and Samantha Giles, winning 2-and-1, matching the performance of their teammates, Harley Knight and Dale Marmion, who defeated Jack Singh Brar and Alex Gleeso.

Callum Mills and Eoin Cunliffe further consolidated the UAE position with a slip verdict against James Newton and Ben Anderson.

Bilal Bilaid and Jonny McLeod halved their match with Jimmy Mullen and William Pennington after their match ended all square.

Daniel Hendry, the winner of the recent Sheikh Rashid Trophy, and Sana Tufail suffered a shock defeat against Lauren Taylor and Oliver Walsh, but it did not keep the UAE from victory.

DUBAI.- The third edition of Abu Dhabi Art, the leading platform for international modern and contemporary art, has today launched its diverse 2011 programme on Saadiyat Island.

An artwork designed for Bulgari by Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid is seen during the Abu Dhabi Art Fair at Manarat al Saadiyat in Saadiyat Islands, Abu Dhabi November 16, 2011. The art fair, showcasing modern and contemporary art and design, runs until November 19. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh.

Abu Dhabi Art 2011 will be housed in the new UAE Pavilion which was designed by Foster + Partners as well as Manarat Al Saadiyat, the Saadiyat Cultural District’s exhibition center, opened since 2009. The huge UAE Pavilion, originally designed for the Shanghai World Expo 2010 has been relocated in more than 24,000 individual parts and was inspired by the golden sand dunes of the Emirates.

Organised by Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage (ADACH,) this year’s expanded international programme includes a boutique art fair made up of around 50 prestigious and innovative galleries as well as exhibitions, film screenings, panel discussions and more. This year will also see a larger design platform and workshops with leading practitioners, a family focused ‘Art Zone’ and an exclusive VIP Zone, the Majilis.

“We are delighted to welcome such a large, international audience to Saadiyat Island and the UAE pavilion in the Saadiyat Cultural District,” commented His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of TDIC, ADACH and Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. “The breadth of the 2011 programme of Abu Dhabi Art allows us to show the world our ambitious plans as a cultural destination and to recognise the extent of what is already happening here.”

“We are delighted that so many artists, galleries, collectors and art enthusiasts find the unique cultural context of Abu Dhabi a fixed part of their annual calendar, and we believe that our multicultural programme offers a truly global perspective. Since the inception of Abu Dhabi Art three years ago, Abu Dhabi has become a recognised destination for both international collectors and for those nearer to home, and some of the world’s leading galleries take to broaden their market reach and international reputation.” More info

ABU DHABI // The Abu Dhabi Art Fair 2011 opened the doors of its new home to guests last night in a lavish event.

The opening attracted aficionados and connoisseurs from around the world to Saadiyat Island to peruse the 50 galleries spread across the two floors of the UAE Pavilion.

This is the first time the event has being held at the Manarat Al Saadiyat art exhibition centre. For the past two years it has been held at the Emirates Palace hotel.

Galleries presented a cross-section of art from New York to London, including a work by Alexander Calder in the Edward Tyler Neham Gallery, which greeted visitors when they entered the pavilion.

It has been a long 11 months and hectic past four days, but organisers of the Fair 2011 were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief as the UAE Pavilion opened on time.

The pavilion, designed by Foster+Partners, was the night’s main attraction.

The dune-shaped structure, originally designed for the Shanghai World Expo 2010, was relocated to the UAE in more than 24,000 parts to be re-assembled within 11 months.

“I was so interested to see the UAE Pavilion because I think it’s amazing it came all the way from Shanghai to here,” said Hind Balfaqeh, an Emirati art buff. “It is really impressive. I am a big art fan, so I’m happy to be here.”

The gallery owner Salwa Zeidan said the pavilion was “just pieces on the ground” a few weeks ago.

“What you see now was done in the past four days,” Ms Zeidan said. “It’s really amazing. People were questioning whether it would be done on time or not, but they have done a miraculous work.” More info

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) are pleased to announce the opening of Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas on November 1, 2011. Located on the prestigious, natural island of Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas is an exclusive sanctuary of contemporary luxury located on a nine kilometre stretch of environmentally protected white sand beach.

The Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas.

The resort is adjacent to the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and minutes from the city’s prime business district and the Corniche. Catering to both business and leisure travellers, this stylish resort offers spectacular, unobstructed vistas of the turquoise water and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club from both restaurants and rooms.

According to Peter Fulton, Managing Director, Hyatt International, South West Asia: “Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas is Hyatt’s first hotel to open in Abu Dhabi. It will embody our global Park Hyatt philosophy of offering our guests personalised, understated luxury and discreet, attentive service in a stylish and elegant ambience. We will also be the first 5-star luxury hotel to open on Saadiyat Island, and are proud of the part we are playing in the exciting Saadiyat story. We look forward to welcoming guests from Abu Dhabi, the UAE and across the world in the coming weeks.”

The stunning island property reflects Hyatt’s authentic and elegant approach to hospitality. In addition to the 306 luxuriously appointed rooms (including 39 suites and four private luxury villas), the hotel also presents a first class array of dining options serving a wide selection of cuisines from around the world: The Park Bar & Grill, The Café, Beach House and The Library.

Resort activities include four generously sized swimming pools, a range of water activities, the beautiful Atarmia Spa with nine spacious treatment rooms, outdoor private terraces, fitness facilities, a tennis court and Camp Hyatt children’s club. More info

From the azure waters of the Arabian Gulf to the emerald lawns of the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, one is immediately struck by spectacular views at the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort residences in Abu Dhabi.

* Image Credit: Tourism and Development Company (TDIC) * "I don't know many other residences where one can watch dolphins playing in the surf" says Rashid Al Suwaidi of TDIC.

According to Rashid Al Suwaidi, the Tourism and Development Company’s (TDIC) director of sales and leasing, residents can also look forward to true luxury.

“The residences, which are part of the St Regis hotel and currently for sale, are the first branded St Regis residences in the region and offer homeowners privileges on an à la carte basis,” he says. “These include housekeeping and maid services, an in-residence personal chef and catering, a butler service and personal assistant, secretarial and translation services as well as a car valet service.”

The villas, built on plots ranging from 900 square metres to 1,750 square metres, come with a “fully landscaped garden area and private pool with built-in massage jets, as well as access to the St Regis hotel, spa, health club and high-end shopping complex,” Rashid says. The design of the 32 unfurnished villas currently available on the island “was influenced by Mediterranean-Spanish architecture,” Rashid says. “Inside the villas, traditional displays of Eastern opulence are omitted in favour of exclusivity, modern simplicity and understated luxury.”

Energy efficiency was extremely important in the construction of the villas and each home features “passive solar controls including deep overhangs, deep window insets, exterior trellising over living areas and operable windows for cross ventilation.

“Keeping the hot local climate in mind, the villas were painted a light shade that reflects the sunlight rather than absorb it. Each home’s private swimming pool – which varies in size depending on the villa – utilises salt water, which is far healthier and more environmentally friendly than chlorine,” Rashid says.

Indoor-outdoor living is a main component of the St Regis lifestyle. Large, shaded terraces adjacent to the interior communal areas create flow between the inside and outside spaces and each villa boasts a beautiful private terrace under a pergola in the garden, perfect for al fresco dining.

The pool has a generous amount of deck space for outdoor lounging in the gorgeous winter months and there is even an outdoor shower. The front garden opens onto the street, which creates an inviting feeling among the residents, while the private and staff entrances underscore the exclusivity and luxury of the community.

With regard to the practicality and convenience of living in the St Regis residences, Rashid says, “Saadiyat is a convenient five minutes away from Abu Dhabi’s city centre and in the near future residents can expect public transport to be introduced across the community.” More info

Jawaher Al Saadiyat is a section within the Saadiyat Beach Villa development, the first residential community on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat island,” says Nicole Judd, Tourism Development and Investment Company’s (TDIC) design manager.

* Image Credit: Silvia Baron/ANM * High ceilings, large doors and windows and wide passageways are paired with marble floors and wooden wall panels that give the villa a warm, homely feel. Persian carpets and old fashioned urns maintain the abode’s traditional style.

The island Judd is speaking of sits a mere 500 metres off the coast of Abu Dhabi, ten minutes from Ferrari World and The Yas Hotel, and could very well be the capital’s most ambitious project to date. Already de rigueur in the property stakes, the 27-square kilometre piece of land – surrounded by the soothing turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf – will offer residents and visitors access to several museums, galleries and other jaw-dropping spaces upon its expected completion this month, including the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club (designed by Gary Player), and the island’s first beach club, the Monte Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat.

But it’s not the forthcoming cultural sites we’ve come to see; it’s the luxury beach villas in Jawaher Al Saadiyat.

“There are ten high-end, luxury show villas that are exact replicas of the actual Saadiyat beach villas currently under construction,” Judd says. For this particular story, we’ve come to take a look at one of Jawaher Al Saadiyat’s completed Arabian-themed homes.

Upon first entering the 349-square metre Arabian abode, one is immediately struck by the immense space. High ceilings, massive doors, arched window frames and wide passageways are offset against cool marble floors and rich wooden wall panels that give the home a tranquil feel and plenty of breathing space. Arabian patterned inset tiles and traditional mosaics are embedded in the flooring throughout the house, while heavily detailed archways, reminiscent of ancient Persia, adorn internal doors and built-in wardrobes made of stained Alder wood.

“We took a contemporary slant on the traditional Arabian style, resulting in the interiors being rather eclectic,” says Judd. “We wanted to create the feeling that the pieces one sees in the house have been collected over many years. Arabian influences are cleverly drawn in with fabrics, artefacts, decorative timber wall panels and artwork, not to mention the materials with which the villa was built.”

The smart use of colour in every room is palpable. “The overall palette is cream and beige, inspired by the hues of the desert,” says Judd, “but one will notice strong pops of colour, such as royal blue, red, green, mauve and gold, adding punch to the individual rooms. There is also a range of textures and fabrics used throughout the house, from wool to chenille, silk and even cotton. These fabrics and textures are in turn layered and complemented by wallpapers, rugs and accessories. We also used several sculptures, artefacts and vases to complement the furniture,” she adds. “Local and international artworks in mixed media add to the layering of textures.”

While the overall interior style is polished, a hint of humour makes its presence known. A quirky bird sculpture with comically large feet takes its place alongside an old-fashioned globe in one of the living rooms, and black-and-white horse portraits in a guest bedroom lend an element of whimsy to the space.

Outside the villa, one is struck by the beautifully landscaped garden, from the Moroccan-style pool to the domed, outdoor entertainment area, fountains and carefully placed palm trees. “The garden features several types of flora and fauna, and the entryway to the house offers a perennial garden with vines,” Judd explains. “There are also mature lemon trees – imported from Italy – outside the kitchen, while paved terraces around the house allow residents to enjoy the space from several different perspectives. It’s a garden-lover’s paradise and a great place for entertaining in winter.”

Visit www.tdic.ae for more information

The annual Abu Dhabi Art fair is moving home. When the fair kicks off in November, the manicured lawns and high-ceilinged ballrooms of the Emirates Palace hotel will be swapped for the in-construction cultural campus of Saadiyat Island.

It’s quite a statement. Since Abu Dhabi first set up an art fair – as Art Paris-Abu Dhabi in 2007 – through to last year’s showing, which catered to 17,000 visitors, the city’s most famous hotel has been a key fixture in the fair’s image.

That is set to change this year. The 2011 event will take place on Saadiyat Island. The venues for the fair will be Manarat Al Saadiyat, the temporary exhibition hall on the island, which has ­already held several ambitious shows such as the recent Splendours of Mesopotamia, and, as was announced last week, the UAE Pavilion transplanted from the recent Shanghai World Expo.

The pavilion was designed by Foster+Partners and held exhibits exploring the cultural history of the UAE during the Expo. For Abu Dhabi Art, the pavilion is being reconstructed pole-by-pole on Saadiyat (a feat in itself) and will play a pivotal role in the fair’s programme of talks, workshops and satellite shindigs.

It’s refreshing to see that the capital’s art fair is looking to reposition itself. Moving out of the gilded exhibition halls of the Emirates Palace and on to an island that will one day be home to the Louvre and Guggenheim is a clear statement that this is not solely a transient, transactional space. Rather, the suggestion is that it is an equal engine in the cultural district’s emergence.

It’s no secret that many gallerists from the traditional art hubs of Paris, New York and London are drawn to the fair by the prospect that their artists might be snapped up by curators shaping the collections of the new museums. Putting the fair on the doorstep of these developments (both tipped for completion in the next two years) serves to emphasise that relationship.

Sceptics may cite the half-built character of the island: Saadiyat is still largely a weave of empty streets punctuated by construction sites and traffic cones, an unlikely location, both for infrastructure and the art world’s glitterati. “The whole of the UAE is a building site,” as Charlie Pocock, director of Meem Gallery in Dubai and a stalwart presence at the fair, points out.

“We have to accept that right now,” he says. “I think this new location is a lot better for the fair – there’s more flexibility and it is more realistic, as Emirates Palace is incredibly expensive.”

Pocock is effusive about the move, citing the success of previous exhibitions at the Manarat Al Saadiyat space as a sign of things to come.

“Saadiyat Island is a lot more ­accessible from Dubai,” he explains. “Bringing the Foster+Partners pavilion is a superb idea as well, because it allows the fair to identify itself. Abu Dhabi Art is there, in part, to introduce Emiratis to international art and it adds to the function of what Saadiyat Island is eventually going to be.”

Meem Gallery specialises in art from Iran and the Arab world. Pocock’s stable includes some of the key figures in this regional scene – including the Iraqi modern master Dia Al Azzawi and Parviz Tanavoli. At last year’s fair, the gallery launched a heavyweight monograph of Azzawi, accompanied by a selection of his sculptural works. This time around, Pocock explains, an 8×2.4m painting by the artist will form the centrepoint of Meem’s booth.

The gallery list for 2011 is now online. Returning after an absence last year is Dubai’s Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, which looks after some of the foremost names in contemporary Iranian art. Similarly, the lineup seems markedly more diverse compared with the wealth of international big-hitters that typified the event last year. Although Gagosian, White Cube and Hauser & Wirth return, they’re joined by the likes of Rose Issa Projects, October Gallery and Lisson Gallery – newcomers to the event. More info

When a restaurant is located a little out of the way, when you have to make an effort to reach it, the dining experience needs to justify the effort. Hawksbill at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is a 20-minute drive from the centre of Abu Dhabi and after a meal there last week, I am not entirely convinced that it was worth the trip.

As you would expect, the restaurant has a clubhouse feel to it, albeit a rather grown-up one. The views of the rolling greens of the golf course break things up a little and I daresay that in cooler weather, the atmosphere out on the terrace would be less muted. Inside, though, the mood matches the colour scheme: it’s all a bit restrained.

The international-style menu is unnecessarily long. It features more than 60 dishes, including soups, sandwiches, pasta options, various appetisers, full main courses (with everything from fish and chips to curry) and a separate Arab menu. In short, there is just too much going on. A menu of this length clearly doesn’t play to the strengths of the chef and makes one question how the kitchen could possibly find the time to prepare the dishes from scratch.

The 20 minutes or so that we spent deliberating over what we wanted to eat was in part due to the vast amount of choice, with the other reason being that soon after we were given a menu, the music stopped and the room was plunged into darkness. This happened twice more during the meal and each time we sat in uncomfortable silence while the problem was rectified. Despite the service being generally rather friendly and attentive, no one apologised for this inconvenience, nor attempted to offer an explanation. Odd.

My starter of Thai-style prawns consisted of seven small balls of deep-fried minced prawns with a breadcrumb shell and a dot of Thai curry paste in the centre. Had I been served this dish as a bar snack, I would have been relatively impressed: the prawn meat was succulent and the coating a crisp, golden brown. But as a starter in a vaguely upmarket restaurant, it wasn’t quite good enough, particularly because the uniformity of the balls very much suggested that they had not been made in-house and the only accompaniment was a small pot of shop-bought sweet chilli sauce.

My friend, however, enjoyed her lentil soup very much. The smooth amber liquid was nicely spiced, with cumin undertones and a wholesome, healthy feel to it. What a shame, then, that the garlic croutons seemed stale and without any garlic flavour.

A main course of lamb shank with pumpkin risotto was as robust and rustic as it sounds. On the plus side, the rich, slow-cooked meat subsided from the bone into tender, succulent chunks filled with gamy flavour. The accompanying risotto was disappointing, though. It was watery, lacked depth and the rice, which is supposed to retain some of its bite, had been overcooked – the texture was mushy rather than tender. A few chunks of pumpkin failed to add much-needed oomph.

My cordon bleu chicken was served with a pile of nicely seasoned spinach and a smudge of cauliflower purée that looked and tasted past its best. The stuffed chicken was surrounded by a distinctly soggy, chewy breadcrumb batter and the meagre amount of taleggio cheese and crispy bresaola in the middle did very little to enhance the taste of the dry, bland meat. A side order of truffle mash glistened with grease, the potato had a gluey texture and the synthetic flavour of the truffle oil was overwhelming.

Unfortunately, the meal did not take an upward turn when it came to desserts. My friend’s macerated strawberries were drowned in a strongly flavoured, very vinegary balsamic syrup. It was both unpleasantly astringent and too sweet – the poor strawberries didn’t stand a chance. I, meanwhile, could not identify any caramel flavour in my crème caramel and the promised macaroons (the real reason I ordered the dish) were missing from the plate entirely.

I think that to succeed, those in charge at Hawksbill need to stop, take stock and decide whom they want to cater for. Is this a place for golfers to relax with a salad, sandwich or bowl of soup, or is it a fine-dining destination? At the moment they are trying to do it all and it’s not working.