Monte Carlo comes to Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi residents will soon get a glimpse of the chic Monte Carlo lifestyle. The Emirate's Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) has confirmed that the Monte Carlo Beach Club in Saadiyat will open on September 1 this year. The Club on Saadiyat Island, the first Monte Carlo Beach Club to be set outside its original venue, will be the beach's first fully operational property. "This is an important moment for us, for Saadiyat, and also Abu Dhabi, as we are providing a club with a level of luxury and exclusivity that has not been experienced in the region to date," said Patrick Nayrolles, general manager of the Monte Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat. Article continues below Based on the famous club of the same name on the French Riviera, the Monte Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat, is built over an area of 39,500 square metres and is expected to become a hot meeting place for Abu Dhabi's social elite. Developed by Abu Dhabi's Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), The club is operated by Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), who have also managed the Monte Carlo Beach in Monaco for around 90 years. Early stages While it's relatively difficult to give a figure for the number of visitors the club is going to attract in the future, Nayrolles told Gulf News the Club's target at the early stages was to attract up to 150 people per day. "We must bear in mind that the public needs to get familiar with the Monte Carlo Beach Club Saadiyat in order to start visiting the facility," he said. There are four food and beverage venues at the club, two of which — the Sea Lounge and Le Deck — have been exported from the original Monte Carlo Beach. That's in addition to Bubbles, an intimate boat-styled venue, and the Library Lounge, a members-only retreat. There will also be a children's club, a fitness facility, and various function areas. "We believe that Abu Dhabi has many synergies with Monte Carlo," he said. "We looked at Saadiyat and where it is going to be in ten years, and it promises to be an affluent district of Abu Dhabi, home to many of the capital's well-off community. Progress "We can see that happening now and we will be supplying a service and a concept that will definitely be in demand as more of the developments come on line," Nayrolles said. Saadiyat Island is also expected to see a number of projects come online this year in addition to the Monte Carlo Beach Club. The first hotel to open on Saadiyat will be the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas, developed by Abu Dhabi National Hotels, followed by the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, developed by TDIC and will also include a residential component, said Shaikha Mahra Al Qasimi, senior communications manager at TDIC. "Together they will provide the first hotel accommodation on the island, and we are very much looking forward to their opening on Saadiyat Beach later this year," she said. On the residential side, this year will also witness the delivery of the first villas of the Saadiyat Beach and the St Regis Villas, which are part of the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, followed by the serviced apartments. In the Cultural District, a new exhibition space under the name of ‘UAE Pavilion' will arrive.