Only 20 years ago, museums were merely seen as preservers of cultural heritage. Fast forward to 2010 and they are synonymous with cultural change. The institutions that once harked back to bygone eras now play a significant role in cultural and economic development, and Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Cultural District is set to take this concept still further. In stark contrast to neighbouring Dubai, a city that thrives on the revenue generated from mass tourism, Abu Dhabi wants to encourage cultural tourism and in doing so create a knowledge economy founded on world-renowned cultural institutions.

Saadiyat Cultural District, set to launch its first phase in 2012- 13, is the only existing space to showcase architecture designed by five individual Pritzker Prize winners, including Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Jean Nouvel’s Louvre Abu Dhabi and Lord Norman Foster’s Zayed National Museum.

The people behind Saadiyat Cultural District have been clear about their vision since 2005 when the plans for the project were first launched.

Soon after this, they visited the London office of Lord Cultural Resources, the world’s largest cultural professional practice, in secret and outlined their master plan to co-president Barry Lord and his team. “They knew they wanted major museums and they wanted to form them in association with existing leading institutions,” says Lord.

“That way, they can make arrangements for long-term loans over 20-30 years, and during those 20-30 years, they will be buying their own collections.”

Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) could also see that the role of the architect had become very important in defining museums, and recognised the need for the architect to be part of each institution’s story. “They have before them the great example of the Guggenheim Bilbao; 13 years on and 90% of guests still say they visit the museum simply because of the architecture,” Lord remarks.

Each building planned for Saadiyat Cultural District has its own unique feel and each is a reflection, in some way, of the cultural identity of the institution. For Frank Gehry, celebrated architect of the Guggenheim Bilbao and now the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, every project starts by trying to get a deep understanding of the building’s surroundings.

“We began this project by trying to understand the goals of the master planners as well as how to properly stitch the Guggenheim into its site,” he begins. “As the other projects around Saadiyat get unveiled, it is always interesting for us to see how they respond to the environment and the culture of the Middle East and Abu Dhabi.”

Working in this part of the Middle East was a new challenge for Gehry, and allowed him and his team to study a new and different architectural language, looking at the secular and religious architecture throughout the region to understand the body language of Middle Eastern design.

“But more interesting than this is the potential of the art programme within the museum, its narrative and how it celebrates the Middle Eastern connection in modern and contemporary art,” he notes.

“The building was designed to work hand in hand with the art programme and if done properly, it could be like nothing that has ever been seen before.”Rita Aoun-Abdo, director of the cultural department at TDIC agrees, citing the cultural district as a ‘platform of contextualisation’.

“By putting things in a new context, everything changes and new references, new concepts and new aesthetics are born.”

Perhaps even more significantly, the ambitious project could potentially transform Abu Dhabi’s economic structure.

“The emirate is very conscious of moving away from dependence on oil and developing a knowledge economy, and museums are key in achieving this,” Lord notes.

“Knowledge workers need the stimulus and support of creative, cultural institutions around them to want to stay in one place; good schools and good graduates aren’t enough.”

Education, however, is the first part of this process, and something that TDIC is 100% committed to. “The Cultural District is about art, culture, tourism and architecture, but first and foremost, it’s about education,” Aoun-Abdo notes.

“Emiratis now have the opportunity to be trained in all aspects of museum work, to participate in university-level programmes of study in the visual arts and to learn about professional film-making. Moreover, for every art exhibition or initiative presented in Abu Dhabi, the city organises education programmes and workshops to serve everyone from school children to adults.”

From an outsider’s perspective, Abu Dhabi is doing well in its efforts to prepare the population for cultural change. Lord is impressed with the education programme that has been implemented even before Saadiyat Cultural District gets off the ground, including art exhibitions across the city and the construction of a 15,000m² visitor centre.

The $27 billion project is also an important vehicle for fostering a cultural exchange with other nations. Lord has spoken to Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, TDIC’s chairman and the man who is spearheading the development of the cultural district, on many occasions and one message continues to stand out.

“He wants Islam to be perceived in the same way as it was in the Middle Ages, when many of the religion’s key documents helped to fuel the Renaissance,” Lord recalls.

“He’s very concerned about the wider geo-political issues and wants Saadiyat to make a positive contribution in changing the image of Arabs and Islam in the West, as well as ensuring that Abu Dhabi has a seat at the cultural table.”

With its unparalleled cultural line-up, Aoun-Abdo is certain this can be achieved. “Abu Dhabi’s collaborations with Agence France-Museums, the Louvre, the Solomon R.

Guggenheim Foundation and the British Museum will create world-class institutions for both Emiratis and visitors, with each museum unique in its own right,” she notes.

“For example, when you come to the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, you will see something you cannot see in New York or Bilbao; you will see work by Iranian, Lebanese, Syrian and UAE artists as well as pieces created by Westerners.”

On top of the Islamic content that will play a significant role in both the Guggenheim and the Louvre, Zayed National Museum and the Maritime Museum are entirely committed to the recent heritage of the UAE.

So committed is the TDIC to creating a cultural district of the highest possible standards that few restrictions apply.

Significant budget support is a given, and thanks to the immediate respect commanded by the UAE royal family, there was never any question that the top names in the museum world would get involved.

But more surprisingly, the directors of the project have demonstrated no qualms about the display of nudity or political art.

Lord laughs as he recalls speaking to Sheikh Sultan on the subject. “You can get away with asking once and they will patiently explain their stance to you, but if you keep coming back to the question of restrictions, they get really offended.

Their philosophy is: ‘continue with your work and if we get anxious about anything, we’ll let you know.’

They haven’t yet.” For Gehry, Saadiyat Cultural District could potentially have a lasting impact on design and architecture in the region.

“After the Guggenheim Bilbao opened, architecture became the third most popular major in regional universities,” he concludes. “And I hope the same happens here.”

But it’s not only the project’s architecture that is set to change the face of Abu Dhabi and the surrounding region. If Saadiyat succeeds, it could create a new voice for the Arab world as well as fuelling the economic development of the UAE’s capital city for many years to come.