Desert Dreams

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is more than just glitzy malls, towering skyscrapers and ostentatious luxury. Tan Chee Boon discovers its quiet charms as a cultural haven

- Tan Chee Boon

OFTEN DUBBED THE QUIETER and richer state to the showy, extravagant Dubai (only a 90min car ride away), Abu Dhabi probably isn’t right at the very top of anyone’s travel bucket list. But with Etihad Airways flying daily between Singapore and Abu Dhabi, and only seven-and-a-half hours away, there are plenty of reasons to make a short getaway to this city.

If opulent malls and man-made ski slopes don’t interest you much, fret not for Abu Dhabi boasts an eclectic mix of customs, flavours and a vibrant cultural scene, especially with the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2017.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi came about when France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed an agreement on March 6, 2007, paving the way for a world-class museum developed with French expertise, giving the UAE a competitive edge in tourism, education and services.

Built on Saadiyat Island (the Island of Happiness), the Louvre Abu Dhabi is designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Jean Nouvel. His other works include the Lyon Opera House in France, 40 Mercer luxury residences in New York, as well as the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid.

Anchoring the structure is a futuristic-looking dome—measuring 180m in diameter and covering about two thirds of the museum—inspired by palm leaves. “Pierced with openings to look like interwoven palm leaves, a traditional roofing material in the Emirates, the dome resembles silver lace. A geometric template of stars repeated in different sizes and at different angles in a complex arrangement forms eight distinct layers, four external and four internal. Sun filters through the dome like a delicate, protective rain of light, similar to a claustra lattice of mashrabiyas, reflecting the constant interplay of light and shadow in the country,” writes the official statement.