Planning

Many people will agree that planning is not a strong thing here. Emiratis I have talked to admit that this is a cultural weakness. However, even I have to admit that there is a sense of organization to the long-term planning in Abu Dhabi. The Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 is the prime example of this. There are communities that are being built up now and others with a target to start construction after 2015.

There are plans to build replicas for both the Guggenheim museum and the Louvre. Reem island is being set up as a "city within a city" and is going to be the new business district.

Infrastructure is another aspect of planning gone well. The city was working on the roads of Yas Island and Sadiyat Island years before there was anything there. There are five lane highways that go out to what is now the Formula One track and Ferrari World but went out to nowhere. They still don't need five lanes, but at least the planners recognize that the need will be there eventually.

Of course, not all infrastructure projects are implemented smoothly. Around the time I arrived, the city had just begun the Salaam Street tunnel project without any warning. One day the road was open and the next, it was closed, causing difficulties for many businesses which had no time to make arrangements for customers to access the premises. Hopefully, the organizers of the projects will consider the people the projects affect in upcoming planning.