Abu Dhabi's policy to invest in mega projects to brand its image for cultural tourism and urban expansion is part of its 2030 vision to diversify its income and attract investors through the creation of a modern Arab city. Shorefront development and large real estate projects run hand in hand as part of a process seeking international acclimation. Existing urban enclaves of the city created mostly in the 1970's are being framed with iconic skyscrapers along Abu Dhabi's waterfronts to offer new

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... rban windows of the city. In the process star architects advocate signature projects to brand the city as part of Abu Dhabi's new infrastructure development to create a gateway city in a rapidly developing and competitive Gulf region. These new icons of Abu Dhabi vary in their architectural manifestations from cultural projects and mega museums to complex skyscrapers made possible through new technologies that avail. Abu Dhabi's new, more visible architecture manifests the emergence of yet another competitor on the global market of Asian and Gulf cities. The new architecture that is reshaping the skyline of the oil rich state constructs in the process a new city image of unprecedented wealth. This paper explores the current changes in Abu Dhabi and the competing visions of tradition, culture and modernity as the city strives to claim status in a global hierarchy of Asian and Arab financial centers.