From today, the Big Bus Tour will start to include Saadiyat Island on its Abu Dhabi itinerary. The well-known hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour features all of the capital’s famous landmarks and will now take its passengers to Manarat Al Saadiyat – a purpose-built art and exhibition centre. From here, they will be able to access the island’s other tourism attractions.
The move comes as many of Saadiyat’s exciting hospitality, leisure and cultural offerings opened their doors during 2011, including the Monte-Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat, where guests can experience the best cuisine from the Riviera; St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi; Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi; and the UAE Pavilion. These destinations join the Gary Player-designed Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, which opened in 2010.
Ahmed Al Fahim, Executive Director of Marketing, Sales & Leasing, TDIC, said: “We are delighted that Big Bus Tours will now stop in Saadiyat, offering guests the chance to experience this magnificent island firsthand. Visitors can now enjoy a complete experience on Saadiyat, from fine dining at its various hotels, to culture and art at two of the UAE’s most prominent exhibition centres, to golfing at the region’s first beachfront course. All of this is set perfectly next to one of the most stunning and pristine beaches the UAE has to offer, making Saadiyat a truly special tourism destination.”
At Manarat Al Saadiyat, visitors will have the chance to learn about the island through The Saadiyat Story exhibition, which offers an interactive narrative on the historical and cultural vision behind its various developments. The centre, which plays the important role of raising the Saadiyat Cultural District’s profile in the lead up to the opening of the museums – Zayed National Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, also features the Arts Abu Dhabi Gallery – a permanent space for a series of exhibitions and educational programmes organised by TDIC. The venue is currently hosting the Emirati Expressions exhibition. Following the exhibitions, visitors will be able to visit some of its other attractions, which are located a short drive or walk away from the exhibition centre. The UAE Pavilion, which is adjacent to Manarat Al Saadiyat, is a landmark exhibition and event venue, hosting some of the UAE’s most important cultural functions. And for those interested in residential opportunities, they can visit Saadiyat Beach Show Villas and Sales Centre, which is a collection of 10 fully furnished premium show villas on Saadiyat. The show villas are an exact replica of the future Saadiyat Beach Villas, and offer visitors the opportunity to walk through their potential homes and get a glimpse of what life on the island has to offer.
Big Bus Tours has been operating in the Middle East since 2002 and started the Abu Dhabi operation in 2009. Mike Lees, General Manager of Big Bus Tours said: “Big Bus Tours always looks to grow at the pace of the city it operates in. Saadiyat island, including the exhibition center, restaurants and hotels, is an impressive development, and therefore it was an obvious choice to expand the Big Bus Tour to include this attraction.”
The Abu Dhabi Tour offers an unique sightseeing experience onboard traditional double decker busses, the king of all sightseeing vehicles. Passengers can design their own itinerary and hop-on and hop-off at any of the 11 stops all over Abu Dhabi. The Red Route Island Tour offers a choice of eight digitally recorded languages: Arabic, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Mandarin.