Following a meeting at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, I had a few extra minutes and stumbled upon Saadiyat Island Cultural District Exhibition.

The exhibition displayed renderings and models of the five major cultural initiatives currently underway in Abu Dhabi.These include the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Maritime Museum, the Sheikh Zayed National Museum and the Performing Arts Centre.

Even with the astounding architecture in the region, it was hard to imagine these ambitious designs coming to life.

The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is the creation of Frank Gehry and will house international modern art. The design looks like a mound of shapes and cylinders like nothing I have ever seen before. Completion of the museum is scheduled for 2017.

Designed by the French architect, Jean Nouvel, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will take the shape of a ‘floating dome’ filtering natural light. Scheduled for completion in 2016, the designer describes it as ‘an island on an island’. The museum will feature collections of art shared with the Louvre in Paris.

The Sheikh Zyaed National Museum will offer a glimpse into the history of the unification of the United Arab Emirates under the leadership of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. This museum is scheduled to open in 2015.

The Maritime Museum was designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando and will feature exhibitions highlighting the UAE’s intertwined history with the sea. The Performing Arts Centre by Iraq native Zaha Hadid will house a variety of concert spaces, including an opera house.

What an exciting to time in the history of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. I look forward to visiting again and experiencing these major cultural institutions.

— Danielle Hudena, director of sales and marketing