Abu Dhabi is set to open a Frank Gehry-designed performing arts venue on Saadiyat Island in 2030.
Dar Al Funoon Abu Dhabi, which translates to house of the arts, will be next to Saadiyat Cultural District and is being developed by the Department of Culture and Tourism as a major addition to the emirate’s cultural infrastructure.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, witnessed the launch of the project and reviewed its plans, development phases, construction progress and technical capabilities.
The venue is designed to support a wide variety of disciplines, from opera, ballet and theatre to orchestral concerts, musicals, festivals, cultural events and more intimate performances.
It will feature a multipurpose performance hall with more than 2,000 seats, acoustics designed for major productions and an orchestra pit capable of holding up to 120 musicians. The hall will be adaptable for opera, ballet, theatre, orchestral concerts, musicals, cultural events and awards shows.
The development will also include a 3,500-seat outdoor amphitheatre for large-scale events and festivals, a 400-seat studio theatre for experimental and community productions, and a 250-seat jazz venue for intimate, genre-focused performances. Supporting facilities will include about 5,000 square metres of food and beverage and retail space, as well as a rooftop terrace for special events.
The venue will offer year-round programming and is planned as a permanent home for major live productions. It will also support long-term artistic residencies, international touring partnerships and co-productions with performing arts institutions around the world.
Authorities said the venue was intended to strengthen the emirate’s position as a centre for the performing arts and provide permanent infrastructure for its wider cultural ambitions. The project is also aligned with Abu Dhabi’s status as a Unesco Creative City of Music, which the emirate has held since 2021.
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, said the project reflected Abu Dhabi’s long-term investment in artistic expression and cultural development.
“Dar Al Funoon Abu Dhabi will be a permanent home for performance, bringing together leading artists, companies and creative talent from the UAE, the region and across the world,” he said.
The building was designed by Gehry, one of the world’s most influential architects. Its design is inspired by the rhythms of the local landscape and the movement of wind and water.
Gehry, who died in December 2025 aged 96, is also the architect behind Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, another major cultural project on Saadiyat Island. His other designs include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris.
Dar Al Funoon Abu Dhabi will add a dedicated performance venue to the broader cultural landscape developing on and around Saadiyat. Louvre Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum are already open, while Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is expected to welcome visitors later this year.
The performing arts project is expected to broaden Abu Dhabi’s capacity to host major international productions while supporting the development of local and regional talent across the performing arts.
