Artful growth across Abu Dhabi emirate

The cultural landscape of the capital is changing with the expanding population

Guests peruse the artwork on display at the Art Hub in Mussafah, the industrial part of Abu Dhabi (Silvia Razgova / The National)

Anyone who remembers the modest beginnings of Abu Dhabi Art – in a room in the Emirates Palace, all the way back in 2007 – will have been astonished at the venue, the art and the crowd in attendance on Tuesday night at the opening of this year’s exhibition. Hundreds of people milled around at Manarat Al Saadiyat, viewing Picasso and Matisse under the same roof as the cream of modern Arab art.

A similar expansion has occurred beyond the art world, beyond the island, across the entirety of Abu Dhabi itself.

As The National reported yesterday, the population of Abu Dhabi has almost doubled in the last eight years. This was driven mainly by the influx of expatriate workers coming to fill the positions needed in the emirate’s developing economy.

At the same time, infrastructure and housing has risen to keep pace: new buildings and new roads have been built, and new restaurants and malls have opened (and, as we report today about Yas Mall, continue to open). And of course, the cultural life of the emirate continues to expand, not only with large initiatives like Abu Dhabi Art, but the smaller art galleries and creative spaces that dot the island.

Taken as a group, these pieces fit together, bringing about not merely the quantitative increase of people and places, but a qualitative increase in the standard of living. Living standards have increased (although, as we have noted with concern before, living costs are also rising), not merely in the choice of accommodation, but in the ability to enjoy the city as a living, breathing entity.

All the pieces tie together: culture, infrastructure and people. This growth has not been organic, but it could not be with such a rapid pace. Some things, such as the buildings, had to be erected, before there was a certainty there would be occupants. The hardest part now is to maintain a sensible level of growth, while also ensuring there is enough supply in, particularly, housing and schools, so that living costs don’t rise rapidly.

In that respect, sometimes building a city is a lot like creating a piece of art. Stand too close and you get lost in the detail. Step back and the grandeur of the finished piece is apparent. The difference with our capital is – Abu Dhabi is just getting started.