Abu Dhabi has introduced a Dh500 million campaign to promote the emirate as a global tourist attraction.
The three-year project will be aimed at countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, India and Russia, along with the domestic market as Abu Dhabi makes a sustained push to attract more visitors.
The campaign was revealed on Tuesday by Saif Ghobash, undersecretary at the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi.
Mr Ghobash confirmed that major Saadiyat Island projects including the Zayed National Museum and the Guggenheim were still in progress.
“All I can say now is that with Louvre Abu Dhabi done and completed a year ago, all the other projects have been put into full gear,” he said.
Plans for the Zayed National Museum were announced in 2007, with a design inspired by a falcon’s feathers completed by the British architect Norman Foster. But the opening has been pushed back several times.
The new promotional funds, meanwhile, are part of the Dh50 billion stimulus package announced last year by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Known as Ghadan 21, the stimulus seeks to boost the economy and help to diversify it away from oil.
Close to half of the Dh500m promotional pot aims to raise awareness about Abu Dhabi's new attractions such as Louvre Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Hosn and Warner Bros, in the run-up to Dubai's Expo 2020.
Meanwhile, 35 per cent of the funds will build Abu Dhabi’s status as a leading cultural destination in the Middle East.
The precise scope of the campaign was not revealed but traditional and social media, TV advertisements and roadshows are all expected to be a part of the plan.
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Abu Dhabi's Qasr Al Watan opens to public
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The great hall at Qasr Al Watan, or Palace of the Nation, which opened its doors to the public in March 2019. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, announced the building based in the palace compound is open for visitors to take part in tours. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The decision to create the new cultural landmark, he said, came from the President Sheikh Khalifa in a bid to boost cultural understanding of the UAE. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Qasr Al Watan is a building inside the compound of the Presidential Palace, which houses the formal offices of the UAE's President and Vice President and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The Presidential Palace is the official meeting place for the UAE Cabinet and the Federal Supreme Council - the highest constitutional authority in the UAE. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
A palace and garden ticket, which gives you access to all public spaces, inside and out, costs Dh60 for an adult and Dh30 for children aged four to 17 years. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Sculpture Santos looks at The Power of Words. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
A Hermle Clock from Kazakhstan that sits in the presidential gifts room of Qasr Al Watan. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The presidential banquet hall. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
A sculpture of a horse from Turkmenistan in the presidential gifts room. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
An early Arabic papyrus, from the palace's "house of knowledge". Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Samurai armour from Japan, another gift to the UAE president. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Standard guided English or Arabic tours, directed by a tour guide, run every 30 minutes and cost Dh30 per visitor. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Visitors are able to see examples of Arabian craftsmanship and art and are able to create traditional calligraphy on interactive screens, as well as explore centuries of knowledge in books focusing on the UAE in the Qasr Al Watan library. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Al Kashool in the house of knowledge. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Visitors will also gain a deeper understanding about the rulers and institutions of the country. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
There are two gift shops – one in the visitor centre and one in the main palace building, selling “exquisitely crafted gifts” and souvenirs inspired by Qasr Al Watan. Chris Whiteoak / The National
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Tourism officials said the Dh1bn would come from more guest stays.
The department on Tuesday announced that it expected to make Dh1bn in savings for hotel owners over the next three years after its move last year to cut fees on hotel stays.
Tourism fees were reduced from 6 to 3.5 per cent, municipal fees from 4 to 2 per cent and hotel room fees from Dh15 to Dh10 a night under the Ghadan 21 plan.
Long-stay guests who are in hotels for more than 30 days are also exempt from the fees, along with rates on tickets sold by hotels for access to tourist attractions.
Mr Ghobash also welcomed Monday's opening to the public of Qasr Al Watan as another part of the rich tapestry Abu Dhabi offers.
“It was very successful,” he said. “I looked at the social media feeds that evening and was very pleased.
"The name is also important. It brings the palace down to the individual level and connects with people.”
With so much of the focus on Saadiyat and Yas islands in recent years, attention is turning back to the old city.
But Mr Ghobash said this must be seen as part of a wider plan to bring people across the city, from Saadiyat to Mina Zayed to Qasr Al Hosn.
“It creates a pattern,” he said. “You can see a natural flow of investments to create districts where it is easy for pedestrians to walk around and spend half a day there.”
Statistics show 10 million people visited Abu Dhabi last year. The emirate counts overnight international visitors and day trippers from other emirates.
It is hoped that the three-year plan will boost this but a definite target for 2021 was not revealed on Tuesday.
