Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi has always been a conservative city with a slow pace, traditional values and strong sense of heritage, but recently the capital has also decided it loves nothing more than a bit of glamor.

Cue the arrival of glitzy hotels, upmarket nightclubs, world class sports facilities and malls stuffed with designer goods, all part of Abu Dhabi’s grand plan to transform itself into a modern, international city by 2030. Everywhere you look, new developments are springing up that demonstrate this ambition – if it’s not the engineering marvel that is Capital Gate, the world’s farthest leaning building, it’s Ferarri World, home to the fastest rollercoaster on earth. International hotel chains have quickly taken notice, and since 2012, Westin, Rocco Forte and Hyatt are all represented in the capital.

Another headline-grabbing development in the emirate is Saadiyat Island, which was a deserted no man’s land a few years ago and is now chock full of resorts and beach clubs where Abu Dhabi’s sun-loving set make the most of the pristine white sands.

It is also here that a new multi-billion dollar cultural district will be located, which will contain museums, art galleries and performing arts centers. These will include the Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and expected to open in 2015, and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi contemporary art museum, designed by Frank Gehry. It is scheduled for completion in 2017 and is set to become the largest Guggenheim museum in the world. Other hotly-anticipated openings are the Sheikh Zayed National Museum, designed by Norman Foster and the Performing Arts Center, which is the brainchild of Zaha Hadid. The Iraqi-British architect already made her mark on the city in 2010, with the opening of the Sheikh Zayed Bridge connecting Abu Dhabi island with the mainland.

A short drive from here is Yas Island, Abu Dhabi’s other entertainment hub (at least during the cooler winter months). Here you’ll find Ferrari World and the newly-opened Yas Water World water park, along with a cluster of hotels, including the ultra-futuristic looking Yas Viceroy. This sits over the Yas Marina Circuit track, where F1 races are held annually. There’s also a 45,000 capacity concert arena on the island, where big-name gigs are frequently held – think Madonna, Metallica and Prince.

Developments aren’t just in the outer reaches of the capital however. One of the most popular public spaces in Abu Dhabi is the picturesque Corniche, with its family-friendly beaches and long promenade often packed with strollers, cyclists and joggers. An extra 1.5km stretch of beach opened in 2013. This area is also where you’ll find the infamously pricey Emirates Palace Hotel, with its gold vending machines and gold-leaf flecked cappuccinos. Nearby, the equally bling, but more contemporary Jumeriah Towers, which also overlooks the Corniche’s waters, opened last year, complete with designer mall and five star hotel, considered by many to have raised the bar for tourism in the capital.