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Sitting at the western tip of one of Abu Dhabi’s many coastal islands, Saadiyat Cultural District’s transformation from an expanse of featureless sand into the home of one of the world’s most ambitious cultural projects has taken almost two decades. But, after years of construction shrouded in clouds of windblown dust, the much-anticipated cultural quarter has come into its own almost overnight, earning itself a spot on Condé Nast Traveler‘s list of The Best Places to Go in 2026.
Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum opened in the space of two weeks in November and December 2025, while Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, an architectural jumble of boxes and cones on the waterfront, is also tantalizingly close to completion. When this contemporary art museum opens, along with Saadiyat Grove, a new residential and retail project, the Saadiyat Cultural District will become the emirate’s most desirable address. To the east, Saadiyat Island’s white sandy coastline is already lined with luxury resorts, a boardwalk with a lively dining scene, and a beach club.
Here is our guide to the best things to see and do in Saadiyat Cultural District.
What to do in Saadiyat Cultural District
The beach
Saadiyat Island boasts one of the most beautiful beaches in the UAE, and its panhandle of gleaming white sand is home to a host of luxury hotel resorts, as well as a boardwalk strip of restaurants serving Mamsha Al Saadiyat, the cluster of apartment blocks to the east of the Cultural District. Among the places to take a breather and sip a drink, highlights include: Antonia, an Italianesque trattoria that serves generous trays of pizza, pasta favorites, and cool, crisp salads; laid-back Lebanese spot Beirut Sur Mer, known for alternative takes on classic dishes such as crab moutabal; and Japanese Niri, which is quietly serving up some of the capital’s best plates.
A well-groomed private beach, lined with hundreds of shaded sun loungers, and popular with families thanks to its gentle waves, Soul Beach is a half-mile strip of white sand behind the Cultural District. You can order beach service via a QR code and once the sun goes down, it’s well served by cafes and casual restaurants on the Mamsha Al Saadiyat strip. Open from 7am to 6pm.
Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi
Designed by Mecanoo, the newly opened, 376,700-square feet Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi is designed to evoke rock formations along an urban wadi, a theme well-suited to the desert, mountain, and coastal habitats explored in the museum’s displays. It is the first major museum in the region dedicated to exploring the history of evolution, which it calls “the greatest story”, starting with the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago. The collection is arranged into three main sections, originating with the history of our solar system, starring a specimen from the seven-billion-year-old Murchison Meteorite and a piece of moon rock that you’re invited to touch. Next, it’s the turn of the dinosaurs and the development of life on earth, illustrated with stalking sauropods, dueling tyrannosaurs, and all manner of life-like models and fossilized remains, including the bones of two open-jawed, massive Tyrannosaurus rex battling over the remains of a Triceratops. One set of the 67-million-year-old bones famously belongs to “Stan”, who stars in the museum’s social media advertising campaign. From the delicate brass animal footprints guiding visitors on its garden pathways to the herd of sauropods stalking the soaring atrium and beyond, the museum is a delight.
