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Tourism

Abu Dhabi wants to replace Dubai as the Gulf’s desert playground

James Ashton

Photo Credit: A woman relaxes at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi.  Flickr / Asim Bharwani

Skift Take

One would think Abu Dhabi would learn from Dubai’s mistakes and take a slower or smarter route in developing its tourism industry, but its current projects indicate the city has few plans of slowing down.

It feels like Abu Dhabi has been trying to assert its authority over Dubai ever since it bailed out its brasher neighbour when the property boom turned to bust. Three years on from that $10bn (£7bn) cheque, and evidence that Dubai and its ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, was ever in trouble is scant. This week, the malls were thronged, cranes roamed the skyline and new business districts and apartment blocks were taking shape, with only a surprise thunder storm to make construction workers down tools.

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