The back story
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Neighbourhood guide
Saadiyat Island
The museum island: the Louvre, Zayed National Museum and teamLab, and a beach where turtles nest.
Neighbourhood guide · Abu Dhabi
Saadiyat Island, the museums and the sea
The Louvre, Zayed National Museum, teamLab and the Guggenheim to come, and a long beach where hawksbill turtles nest.
What's onThis week in Abu Dhabi
What to see and do
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The museum island
Saadiyat Cultural District
The Louvre, Zayed National Museum, the Natural History Museum and, from December, the Guggenheim.
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Art you walk into
teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi
teamLab’s immersive environments of light and matter, in the Saadiyat Cultural District.
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Hawksbill nesting
Saadiyat beach and the turtles
The long natural beach of Saadiyat, where critically endangered hawksbill turtles nest.
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The “rain of light”
Louvre Abu Dhabi
The universal museum under Jean Nouvel’s silvery dome on Saadiyat, opened in 2017.
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The national museum
Zayed National Museum
The UAE’s national museum, in the Saadiyat Cultural District.
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Natural history
Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi
The natural history museum of the Saadiyat Cultural District.
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Opens 11 December 2026
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
The Guggenheim’s museum on Saadiyat Island, opening on 11 December 2026.
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Frieze’s home
Manarat Al Saadiyat
The Saadiyat Cultural District’s arts centre, home to Frieze Abu Dhabi, 19–22 November 2026.
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From the Louvre to the beach
Mamsha Al Saadiyat
The beachfront promenade of cafés and restaurants on Saadiyat, a short walk from the Louvre.
Where to eat
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Bib Gourmand · on Soul Beach
Beirut Sur Mer
Lebanese mezze and mashawi on Soul Beach, near the museums; a Bib Gourmand.
Soul Beach, Mamsha Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat IslandExplore View on map
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The robata counter
NIRI
Contemporary Japanese at Mamsha Al Saadiyat: take the counter, or the terrace for the sea.
Building 9, Mamsha Al SaadiyatExplore View on map
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At the Louvre
Fouquet’s Abu Dhabi
The Paris brasserie’s grand outpost at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Cultural DistrictExplore View on map
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Scones on Saadiyat
The Library, Park Hyatt
A modern tea lounge at the Park Hyatt, known for its afternoon tea.
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An Emirati roaster’s café
Coffee Architecture
A specialty café at Mamsha Al Saadiyat founded by Emirati coffee lover Nooran Albannay.
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Coffee, barber and shop
Local Mamsha
A café, barbershop and fashion and homeware store on the Saadiyat beachfront.
Where to stay
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Behind the dunes of Saadiyat
Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas
A low resort on Saadiyat beach, with Maté, The Library tea lounge and Atarmia Spa.
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The turtles’ shore
Jumeirah Saadiyat Island Resort
A resort on the protected stretch of Saadiyat beach, with Tean in the MICHELIN selection.
Health and wellness
Share your Saadiyat Island tips
Spent a day between the museums and the beach? Tell the next visitor how you split it.
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