Abu Dhabi is rapidly moving ahead of rival Dubai by initiating a far more interesting cultural development agenda. By 2013 the capital of the United Arab Emirates will boast an offshoot of the Louvre, a new Guggenheim museum designed by Frank Gehry, a National Museum inspired by the British Museum and a performing arts centre designed by the British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. The program is intelligent, green and culturally civilized. If you are trying to attract tourists with a certain level of sophistication and spending power, then create something to do and see. Dubai seems to be going for the "ice cream and popcorn",Las Vegas crowd. They have created a vast shopping mall with casinos and Disney like theme parks void of heritage. Abu Dhabi is breaking away from this excess by adding something substantial and less disposable. This is leaving Dubai behind as all glitz and no content.
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