Pioneering Saadiyat Island residents hope for more amenities

The Saadiyat community is a work-in progress, built around mangroves, roving oryx, and sandy beaches. Mona Al Marzooqi/ The National

ABU DHABI // The few Emiratis who call Saadiyat Island home will be looking to the Federal National Council candidates to balance the flagship development’s construction with adequate services for its pioneering residents.

Meaning “happiness island” in Arabic, the Saadiyat community is a work-in progress, built around mangroves, roving gazelle, and sandy beaches.

Adjacent to the emerging cultural hub - home to the rising Louvre Abu Dhabi - is a golf course, hotels, and rows of villas where the Emirati families who have chosen to call the place home live side by side with expatriates.

The island’s residents - as well as those planning to move there - said they would like to see more retail options, as well as infrastructure development such as schools.

› Ahead of the FNC election day on October 3, The National's reporters are travelling across the seven emirates to speak to Emiratis and find out the issues that affect them – and what they expect from members of a new Federal National Council. Read them here.

Sara, 26, said more shops are needed.

“To do grocery shopping, I have to go to a mall like Yas Mall or another close to work. We also need more restaurants and maybe free wifi in the area,” she said.

She said her neighbourhood is close to a lot of the construction sites, which can sometimes cause inconvenience.

“As it is still a new area, all the construction that is going on might be disturbing some times,” she said.

Mariam, 21, currently lives in Khalifa City and is expecting to move to Saadiyat with her husband by the end of next year, the anticipated completion date of their villa.

The size of the villas and their proximity to the beach make the area attractive, but she would also like to see more retail options.

“You have the Al Mina area, which is a more traditional area with vendors selling fruits, vegetables, and fish, but you don’t have an actual supermarket like a Carrefour or a Co-op,” she said.

With Cranleigh School Abu Dhabi the only institution available for parents, she said more options for education are needed.

“You have one school on the entire island. If you want to put your kids in a school, you don’t really have a choice,” she said.

She acknowledged that ongoing construction can pose difficulties, but sees it as growing pains for Saadiyat’s first residents.

A total of 329 candidates are running in the October 3 elections for the FNC. The council body will be composed of 40 members, half of whom are elected by voters. In total, eight members will represent Abu Dhabi. Support from those elected members can help residents cope during development, Mariam said.

“If you want progress, you are going to have to deal with the construction,” she said. “It’s bothersome but at the same time you need to bear with it if you want more facilities.”

“It’s such a new place, so not a lot of places have opened up. But you have a lot of food outlets, gym activities, and the hotel has a lot of facilities that are good for residents of the island.”

Upon completion, Saadiyat Island, measuring 27 square kilometres with 30 kilometres of coastline, is expected to be home to 150,000 residents.