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The designs, ranging from formal to vibrantly colorful, include three museums created by celebrity architects Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel and Tadao Ando and a sprawling arts center by Zaha Hadid—all part of the new Cultural District of Saadiyat Island, the Times reports.

Gehry's design is earmarked for an Abu Dhabi branch of the Guggenheim, while Nouvel's is slated for a classical museum, possibly a branch of the Paris’ Louvre Museum. Ando's building will house a maritime museum highlighting the history of the Arabian gulf.

A national museum and biennial exhibition space that will include 19 pavilions, plus art schools and an art college are also planned.

Planners say the project will change the face of Abu Dhabi as well as the art world in general.

''This is not just about tourism; it also has global cultural dimensions,'' said Mubarak Muhairi, an Abu Dhabi tourism official. ''We believe the best vehicle for crossing borders is art. And this region is in need of such artistic initiatives.”

The New York Times: Celebrity Architects Reveal a Daring Cultural Xanadu for the Arab World