MEDIA & CULTURE - UAE Interact

The architecture of the Cultural District and the island itself
constitutes a bold cultural statement. To quote Frank Gehry:
‘There’s a great opportunity for infrastructure to be designed here
rather than just engineered. It’s not been done anywhere in the
world since the 19 th century. It’s never happened in contemporary
times, perhaps the odd bridge here and there that’s beautiful, but
they have an opportunity here to make a statement and not just
with individual buildings, but as an entire coherent city’.
OPERA, MUSIC & ART
Abu Dhabi’s international cultural profile has not been placed on
hold until Saadiyat’s Cultural District is constructed. In the
meantime, the emirate is playing host to cultural undertakings
that will help position Abu Dhabi as the region's cultural and
entertainment capital, such as the Middle East premiere of AIDA
Monumental Opera on Fire, which was performed in the open air
on 29 March 2007 at the lavish West Park garden in Emirates
Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi in association with the Abu Dhabi
Tourism Authority (ADTA), and Georges Bizet's world renowned
opera, Carmen, staged from 8 to 11 November 2007 under the
patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of
An artist’s impression of a
completed Saadiyat Island
development shows the new
Cultural District in the
foreground. The project is
expected to draw considerable
international attention to Abu
Dhabi as a major destination.
The architecture of the
Cultural District and the
island itself constitutes
a bold cultural
statement. To quote
Frank Gehry: ‘There’s a
great opportunity for
infrastructure to be
designed here rather
than just engineered’.
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