This beautiful city has approved new projects costing £12billion in total as it sets its sights on improving tourism.
Abu Dhabi – Capital of the United Arab Emirates – has approved 144 new infrastructure projects across housing, education, tourism and natural resources.
The stunning city, filled with skyscrapers and unique beaches, is setting aside £230million for tourism, aiming to encourage more travellers to visit.
At the moment, Dubai sees the most tourism in the United Arab Emirates, with Abu Dhabi coming in second.
But that could be set to change, with Abu Dhabi earning a title of being more family friendly than its glitzy counterpart.
The Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre (Adpic) said the money has been set aside to create and maintain several cultural destinations and buildings in the emirate.
“These ambitious initiatives are designed to act as a comprehensive road map, guaranteeing that the emirate’s continuous expansion is managed effectively, while fostering sustainable development, enhancing overall quality of life and accommodating the evolving needs of its diverse population,” said Maysarah Eid, acting director general of Adpic.
Adpic was established in September to oversee capital projects in the emirate.
Its role includes reviewing capital projects proposed by government bodies, submitting recommendations to the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and supervising the execution of projects, which includes selecting developers.
And it appears that the emirate’s focus on tourism is working, with thousands of travellers flocking to the beautiful city each year.
Personal travel expert Gilly Bachelor told Express.co.uk the city is a go to destination pretty much throughout the year, with hot weather almost guaranteed.
She added: “There’s a lot of interest in Abu Dhabi at the moment as an alternative to Dubai. A lot of people have done Dubai now. Abu Dhabi is possibly how Dubai was 10 years ago.
“It’s slightly more conservative. For couples where one person wants to be in a city and the other wants a beach, Abu Dhabi can be a really good compromise. Saadiyat is stunning, but expensive, but you can stay on the Corniche and enjoy the perfect city-beach combo and it’s more affordable.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk