The UAE has been working on Masdar City, a carbon neutral area of Abu Dhabi, for the past several years. While the goal of having zero carbon emissions has gone by the wayside, they are still working to utilize clean technologies to cut the amount of energy used by the city. I've been hearing about this project since I got to Abu Dhabi a year and a half ago, but only recently realized that people can actually go there now.
The project is due to be fully completed by 2022 when it will reach its goal of 40,000 residents. Right now it is only a few blocks big and is in the pilot stage. There are a few restaurants and cafes along with a bank and an Etisalat shop. It is interesting to go to for a visit. We parked our car and got into one of the little automated taxis that took us to the entrance of the Masdar Institute.
Once in there, you can wander around the little town to look at the architecture and get a bite to eat at one of the restaurants or a coffee at the cafe. There weren't a lot of people there today, mostly people who were there to gawk at it like we were.
Without getting into things too much, I would recommend taking the trip out and wandering around for a little, if just to ride in the emission-free, driverless taxi. Go to view the city of the future.
Getting there is pretty easy. Just head towards the airport and Follow the signs to Masdar City or the Presidential Flight as they're right next to each other. Once you get close, look for signs to the Masdar Institute as this is all there is to it right now. Park your car in the parking structure and the security guard will direct you to the entrance where you get your driverless taxi. The ride isn't long, but it is cool to experience. It's a fun little outing for a few hours.
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