Abu Dhabi announces plans to open its own Louvre and Guggenheim by mid-2010s

Abu Dhabi is to open its very own Louvre and Guggenheim museums in a bid to establish itself as a key cultural destination.

Earlier this month (January), the emirate announced the final opening dates for the projects, which also include a third cultural landmark, the Zayed National Museum.

According to tourist development officials, The Louvre Abu Dhabi will open in 2015, the Zayed in 2016 and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in 2017.

The museums were originally scheduled for a 2013 opening, but officials said the new dates would allow "each museum sufficient time to establish its own identity on the local and international cultural stage”.

The Louvre will be designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, while the Zayed National Museum will be designed by British architect Lord Norman Forster. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be designed by US architect Frank Gehry, who designed the spectacular and acclaimed Bilbao Guggenheim, which opened in 1997.

Teams of experts are now busy acquiring pieces of art and artifacts for the museum collections.

To cope with an expected influx of tourists, Abu Dhabi is also building a new terminal at its International Airport.

Photograph (istockphoto.com) shows Abu Dhabi skyline