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While Dubai reels under the effects of the economic downturn, that has somewhat decelerated the emirate’s astonishing growth-rate, Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE has emerged as one of the strongest contenders to become the region’s cultural hub. In the next five years or so, the oil-rich emirate will boast of Guggeheim Museum to be designed by Frank Gehry, The Louvre Abu Dhabi by Jean Nouvel and two more museums by Zaha Hadid and Tadao Ando at the Saadiyat Island.

It’s not just a cultural centre that Abu Dhabi aims to become; come September the city will also become an annual fixture on the prestigious F1 Grand Prix circuit in the region, after Bahrain. Oh, and don’t forget the ambitious Masdar City project by Lord Norman Foster that claims to be zero-waste, carbon-neutral and car-free development.

Monocle magazine’s founder Tyler Brûlé meets some of the visionaries behind Abu Dhabi’s high-profile cultural quest to bring this in-depth and interesting report in the current issue of the magazine. It’s now available at all major newsstands.