Joanna James
The planning for Abu Dhabi 2030 which focuses on the Economic and Social reforming started in 2006. Here are some ways that Abu Dhabi will be different in the future.
The urban development plan for Abu Dhabi has been documented and designed down to the last blade of grass. The street view of urban development has not only depicted the transportation methods such as water buses, pedestrians and public transport it also depicts where benches, streetlights and traffic lights will be placed. Abu Dhabi is planning the city to be more pedestrian-oriented by maximizing public transports such as trams and metro systems and minimize private vehicles to reduce congestion.
The Department of Transport's Surface Transport Master Plan is planning to invest roughly USD4 billion on a tram system, that will cover an area of 340 kilometres and is said that it will be fully operational by 2020. The metro, on the other hand, is supposed to cover 130 kilometres.
Estidama is a policy programme started in 2010 that appealed to investors to construct buildings based on a strict set of principles that ensure that construction and day-to-day operation are carried out in an environmentally sustainable way. The rating system that was drawn up is supposed to be far more superior to the pre-existing American and European standards like LEED which are considered irrelevant regionally.
Plans to develop suburban cities such as Sowwah, Saadiyat, Yas and Reem Islands were drawn up before the Abu Dhabi 2030 were initiated and work has already begun on these cities.
The capital city of Abu Dhabi presently spans across the ADU buildings and the new Zayed University campus. Future plans for government offices, other state institutions and other universities are said to occupy the land between MBZ City and Khalifa city.
The space between Sowwah and Corniche is going to be utilised to create Abu Dhabi's new Business district. This will be one of the few regions in the country that will allow tall buildings to be constructed since the government limits the height of buildings in many other places.
Abu Dhabi is planning to open several museums that will highlight the countries tradition and culture over the coming years. Hence, they will be encouraging the 5 star hotels in Abu Dhabi the likes of Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara to organise cultural tours that could make use of the museums and introduce tourists to their way of life.
Masdar, the futuristic energy company of Abu Dhabi along with some of the other key player's in the market are investing a lot of money into research and development towards renewable energy. These projects have been proposed to ensure that Abu Dhabi is doing its part towards creating a generation who will rely on environmentally sustainable energy sources in the future.
Abu Dhabi is hoping to invest in areas like healthcare, financial services, media, aviation and petrochemicals over the next 5 years through shrewd public-private partnerships. Unlike Dubai who considers developing properties a vital element, Abu Dhabi has chosen to take a more sustainable and substantial approach.
The Kizad Industrial zone, which was unveiled recently is going to play an important part in the growth of UAE. UAE's largest industrial conglomerate, Abu Dhabi's General Holding Corporation has invested lots of money into areas such as the industry of manufacturing and production of raw materials.
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A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
