Abu Dhabi’s SaadiyatIsland development is set to begin construction work on the St. Regis hotel in July, according to the Tourism and Development Company (TDIC). The construction contract for the hotel will be announced in the next several weeks, while the whole development is planned to be finished by 2020, two years later than originally projected.
“The first phase of the development is on schedule and will see the Saadiyat Beach Golf Course open at the end of this year, the St Regis Hotel on Saadiyat Beach become operational in early 2011, and the openings of the Zayed National Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in 2012 to 2013,” said Bassem Terkawi, the public relations and events director for TDIC.
The whole project will cost less than the original projections of US$27 billion, as construction costs have decreased and some plans have been scaled back. Additional hotels will be operated by Park Hyatt, Rotana and Shangri-La, with another five hotels to be announced later.
