New five-star resort planned for Saadiyat Island

Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) has announced the latest five-star hotel development on Saadiyat island, which will include what is described as “a unique sand-bottom swimming pool” when it opens in 2015.

The hotel will be built on a 91,000 square metre plot on Saadiyat Island and was bought by UAE developer Bin Otaiba Investment Group.

Due to open in two years time, it will comprise 366 rooms and beach villas, restaurants, a spa centre and gymnasium, conference facilities for up to 800 guests and a sand-bottom swimming pool.

Bin Otaiba Investment Group chairman  HE Khalaf bin Ahmad Al Otaiba said: “We are pleased to be investing on Saadiyat island as this is a promising destination and a great opportunity that suits our business module. Our promise to our customers is guaranteed excellence, luxury and innovation and the new five-star hotel we are developing will reflect these high standards.”

“The sale of this land plot to Bin Otaiba Investment Group reassures the leading position of Saadiyat as a strategic location for investment and an ideal residential and tourism destination,” added TDIC eputy managing director Ali Al Hammadi.

Bin Otaiba is currently speaking to a number of hotel operators to manage the hotel, but its portfolio of properties already includes the Hilton Sharjah, Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi and the Embassy Suites Hotel in Sharjah, which is also currently in the final stage of appointing an operator.

Saadiyat is the focal point for Abu Dhabi’s ambitions to become cultural tourism destination, with the Louvre Abu Dhabi set to open in 2015, followed by Zayed National Museum in 2016 and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in 2017.