Abu Dhabi is changing fast. The city built its early growth on oil and finance. Now it is investing heavily in new areas like art, entertainment, and sport, to become a global center for culture and leisure. The government and private companies are building huge new projects across the city. Some of these projects are already close to finished. Others will take several more years to complete.

Here is a look at eight of the biggest projects and what makes each one special..

Dar Al Funoon

Dar Al Funoon means "House of the Arts" in Arabic. It will be a large venue built for live performances. The building will host opera, ballet, theatre, and jazz shows all year round. In total, it can hold more than 6,000 people across its different halls and stages.

The famous architect Frank Gehry designed this building. Gehry is known around the world for buildings with unusual, curved shapes, like the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. For Dar Al Funoon, he created a design inspired by music and movement. The main hall alone is big enough for a 120-person orchestra to perform live on stage.

Dar Al Funoon will stand on Saadiyat Island, close to other cultural landmarks like the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Construction began in mid-2026, and the venue should open in 2030.

Disney Abu Dhabi

Disney Abu Dhabi will be Disney's seventh theme park resort in the world. It will also be the company's first park in the Middle East. The resort will sit on Yas Island, an area that already has several other major attractions.

The park will have a special castle at its center, like other Disney parks around the world. This castle will bring something new to Disney's design. Because Abu Dhabi sits right on the coast, the design team decided to build water directly into the castle itself. This will be the first time Disney has ever done this, making the Abu Dhabi castle a unique landmark among all Disney parks.

The exact opening date will be announced closer to completion. Company leaders have said that a project this size usually needs one to two years for design, followed by four to six years for construction. Based on this, most estimates point to an opening sometime between 2030 and 2033.

Harry Potter World

Warner Bros. World, a popular indoor theme park on Yas Island, will soon get a major expansion. This new area will be built for Harry Potter fans and will include a full-size Hogwarts Castle, a recreation of Diagon Alley, and three brand new rides.

This expansion will be special for one clear reason. It will bring together both Hogwarts Castle and Diagon Alley in a single area, something no other Harry Potter park has done before. Even the famous parks in Orlando, Florida split these two locations between two separate theme parks. Abu Dhabi's version will combine them in one place.

The new land will add around 40,000 square meters to the existing park, which is close to a 26 percent increase in size. Construction work has already started, and industry reports suggest the new land could welcome its first visitors sometime around 2027 or 2028.

Sphere Abu Dhabi

Sphere Abu Dhabi will be a giant, round entertainment venue built for concerts, shows, and other live events. The dome-shaped building can hold up to 20,000 people. This will be only the second Sphere venue in the world. The first one opened in Las Vegas in 2023.

The Las Vegas Sphere became famous almost overnight thanks to its huge curved screen and immersive shows. In its very first year alone, it welcomed more than 24 million visitors. Abu Dhabi's version is being built at roughly the same scale as the original. The project is expected to cost around $1.7 billion.

Sphere Abu Dhabi will be located on Yas Island, between Yas Mall and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. Construction is currently underway, and the venue should be ready by the end of 2029.

Velodrome

The Velodrome will be a new indoor cycling arena built to UCI Category 1 standard. This is the highest level of certification for track cycling, which means the venue will be ready to host top international competitions.

Once it opens, Abu Dhabi will become the first city in Asia to receive the UCI "Bike City" title. Only a small number of cities around the world hold this title, including Paris, Glasgow, and Copenhagen. This recognition shows how much the city has invested in cycling as both a sport and a lifestyle.

One of the most exciting features of the Velodrome is its rooftop track. Cyclists will be able to ride along a 600-meter path on top of the building, with open views across the island and the city skyline.

The Velodrome will be located on Hudayriyat Island, as part of a larger sports and leisure area on the island. The venue is in its final stages of construction and should open in 2026 or 2027.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi

The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will become the largest Guggenheim museum in the world once it opens. It will stand on Saadiyat Island, right next to other major cultural sites in the area.

This project has a long and rich history. It was first announced back in 2006, and after 20 years of careful planning and construction, it is now ready to welcome visitors. The building itself was designed by Frank Gehry, the same architect behind Dar Al Funoon. The outside of the museum features large, cone-shaped structures. These shapes are inspired by traditional Emirati wind towers, called barjeel, which were used to cool buildings long before modern air conditioning existed.

Inside, the museum will show modern and contemporary art from around the world, with a special focus on art from West Asia and North Africa. The museum is nearing completion and is expected to open sometime in 2026.

Topgolf Yas Island

Topgolf is coming to Yas Island, and it will be the second Topgolf venue in the UAE, after the one that opened in Dubai. The venue will have several levels of hitting bays, including a number of VIP bays, along with a large outfield driving range where players can aim at targets.

The first Topgolf in Dubai has already shown how popular this kind of entertainment can be. In its first five years, it welcomed 2.7 million guests and recorded more than 85 million swings. The Abu Dhabi venue is expected to bring a similar mix of golf, food, and entertainment to Yas Island.

Topgolf Yas Island is expected to open in 2026.

Etihad Rail Passenger Service

Etihad Rail is the UAE's first national passenger train network, and it has already begun operating. The first route connects Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, with a journey time of about one hour and 45 minutes. This service officially launched in June 2026.

Right now, this is just the beginning. More stations are set to open over the following months. Dubai and Al Dhaid stations are scheduled to open in September 2026, followed by stations in the Al Dhafra region in December 2026, and a station in Sharjah in March 2027. Once complete, the network will link 11 cities and towns across the UAE, from Al Sila in the west to Fujairah in the east.

There are also plans for a high-speed line between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This route is expected to cut the journey between the two cities down to just 30 minutes, with trains reaching speeds of up to 350 km/h. This high-speed line is expected to be ready by 2030.

Final Thoughts

These six projects show just how quickly Abu Dhabi is growing. Some, like the Guggenheim, will open very soon. Others, like Disney Abu Dhabi, will take several more years to complete. Together, they paint a clear picture of where the city is heading. Abu Dhabi is becoming a destination people plan entire trips around, with new reasons to visit appearing almost every year..

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