Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat Island museums delayed, Dubai’s tram, archaeology digs rediscovering old towns

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — If last week’s removal of the Guggenheim concrete bids sounded ominous, well it is…the whole Saadiyat Island museum project is now projected for a staggered opening, starting in 2013 or 2014. The Louvre is expected to open first. (The National, first and second article)

Saadiyat Island’s massive museum projects are likely to be delayed. / Image via The National.

Not even oil rich Abu Dhabi is immune from the global financial crisis and plummeting real estate market. (Construction Week)

Even by Abu Dhabi standards, Saadiyat Island is a monumental undertaking by the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), which may look into partnerships for the $27 billion (!) project.

In transportation news, Dubai is starting construction on the new billion-dollar Sufouh tram, by Besix and Alstom, scheduled to open in 2014. It’ll travel from Dubai Marina through Media City and Knowledge Village, with 13 stops and capacity of 5,000 passengers/hour. (A second 4km would run from the Mall of the Emirates to the Burj Al Arab.) (Construction Week and The National)

And the upcoming Gulf Traffic Conference in Dubai is going to tackle traffic safety. (The National)

40 years of the UAE: Dubai and the Northern Emirates had the first roads in the UAE, before the country unified. Likewise, Abu Dhabi’s early roads, including the first paved road where Al Maqta bridge now stands, cleared the way for the rise of the capital. / Image via The National.

Can you believe that the country’s first paved roads weren’t until the 1960s? It turns out that Abu Dhabi island is artificially one meter above sea level so the roads wouldn’t flood. (The National)

It’s too late to preserve the demolished historic structures in the coastal towns of the Western Region, but ADACH’s archaeological digs and GIS maps are recreating what life was like not that long ago. (The National and Abu Dhabi Week)

Former life in Western Region coastal towns. / Image via Abu Dhabi Week.

Finally, it’s good to see Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council is increasing social media presence — now on Facebook and holding a student contest.
(The National)

Elsewhere in the region…
Oman’s southern port city of Salalah is expanding its sea-to-air freight connections, apparently it has the lowest transport times in the region. (AME Info)

Qatar is delaying the $3 billion West Bay metro system, which would connect Doha’s financial district to the Doha metro. (Construction Week)

Only 5 years until Yemen’s capital of Sana runs out of water. (Atlantic Cities)

Skyline Stories: AbuDhabi ‘s massive projects, Yas Island water park, U.S. suburbanization & poverty and Times Sq. redesign.

Abu Dhabi’s waterpark, opening 2013. Photo via The National.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Abu Dhabi is not immune from the financial crisis — construction and infrastructure contracts are down 81 percent — but there are still massive projects underway. There are airport/port/industrial zones expansion, redeveloping suburbs Shahama and Bahia and Saadiyat Island. (Gulf Construction) Plus major investment in green space. (The National)

Abu Dhabi’s “green” market could be worth nearly USD 3 trillion in 10 years. (Zawya) Apparently the proposed Yas Island water park is going to be sustainable, as the UPC awarded it a “one pearl” rating for “for its efforts to reduce water consumption on the site.” (The National)

Hopefully Abu Dhabi’s rapidly developing suburbs are going to model American ones built before the 1930s, when the FHA required cul-de-sacs in suburban planning. Connectivity with a street grid also helps against foreclosure. (The Atlantic: Cities) Now poverty is spreading to inner-ring suburbs. (Pedestrian Observations) And the U.S. South, often dominated by cul-de-sac suburbs, is hit hardest by the recession. (NYT)

But besides Detroit, maybe urban downtowns aren’t booming? Suburban office space and taxes are still cheaper. (The Atlantic: Cities)

Lightsaber Battle. Photo via Gothamist.

Why is the developing world’s middle class stuck in the car-centric mindset of 1950s America? (NYT) At least the industrialized world has hit “peak travel.” (Miller-McCune)

First MTA CEO Jay Walder announced he’s leaving, now Port Authority’s Executive Director Christopher Ward, too. (NYT) The new MTA head may be able to coordinate light rail on Staten Island’s North Shore. (Second Ave Sagas)

Times Square’s pedestrian plazas (do they have a name yet?) are going to be rebuilt from the ground up (first time in 50 years!) for pedestrians and cyclists. (Streetsblog) In another iconic public space, Washington Square Park, Newmindspace held its awesome annual lightsaber battle. (Gothamist)