Places · United Arab Emirates · Abu Dhabi
Façade & building consultants in Abu Dhabi.
From the coral-stone watchtower of Qasr Al Hosn to the Louvre's 180m dome, Abu Dhabi's buildings tell the story of an island settlement that became a capital city. McKay Turner Consulting provides façade condition surveys, defect and water ingress investigations, façade fire risk reviews, design reviews and technical due diligence in Abu Dhabi.
ABU DHABI 24.4667° N, 54.3667° E
A short history
An island settlement that became the nation's capital
Abu Dhabi grew up around a fresh-water well and a watchtower on its island. Oil and the founding of the UAE turned it into a planned capital of towers, mosques and museums.
- 1761
Fresh water
A Bani Yas hunting party led by Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa finds fresh water on the island, and a settlement begins.
- c. 1795
Qasr Al Hosn
A watchtower is built to guard the well. It grows into a fort and palace, which reopened as a museum in 2018 after more than 11 years of conservation.
- 1962
First oil export
The first cargo of crude oil leaves Das Island in July, four years after oil is struck offshore at Umm Shaif.
- 1966
Sheikh Zayed
Sheikh Zayed becomes ruler and starts a fast programme of roads, housing and public buildings.
- 1971
Capital of the UAE
The UAE is formed on 2 December, with Abu Dhabi as its capital, Sheikh Zayed as President and Dubai among the six founding emirates.
- 2007
Grand Mosque
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is completed, clad in white Sivec marble from North Macedonia and crowned by 82 domes.
- 2017
Louvre Abu Dhabi
Jean Nouvel's museum opens on Saadiyat Island under a 180m dome of stainless steel and aluminium.
- 2026
Guggenheim
Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Abu Dhabi opens on 11 December, joining the Louvre, Zayed National Museum and Natural History Museum on Saadiyat.
Architecture
What makes Abu Dhabi's buildings distinctive
Abu Dhabi combines traditional Gulf building with bold modern engineering. Several of its best-known buildings use their façades to control the heat, from moving screens to a perforated dome.
Key styles
Traditional Gulf
Coral and sea stone, gypsum and palm-frond construction, as at Qasr Al Hosn, the city's oldest stone building.
Early modern
The Cultural Foundation (1981), with glazed-tile arcades, reopened in 2019 after a 10-year refurbishment.
Islamic revival
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, with marble cladding, 82 domes and more than 1,000 columns.
Iconic towers
Aldar HQ's circular steel diagrid (2010), Capital Gate's 18° lean, and Etihad Towers (2011), the tallest at 305m.
Responsive façades
Al Bahr Towers by Aedas, wrapped in a moving mashrabiya screen that cuts solar gain by up to 50%.
Saadiyat
Jean Nouvel's Louvre Abu Dhabi and Foster + Partners' Zayed National Museum (2025), whose steel wings act as thermal chimneys.
The city's material palette
Did you know?
The mashrabiya screens on Al Bahr Towers open and close with the sun, cutting solar gain by up to 50%.
The Louvre's dome is 180m across and weighs about 7,500 tonnes. Its 7,850 stars are arranged in eight layers.
Capital Gate leans 18°, more than four times as far as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Typical building types
What Abu Dhabi is built of today
Abu Dhabi's buildings range from 1970s and 1980s blocks in the downtown grid to new towers on Al Reem and Al Maryah islands and villa communities on the outer islands.
Commercial offices
Corniche and island towers, many with unitised curtain walls.
Where: Al Maryah Island, Corniche, Al Raha
High-rise residential
Towers from the 2000s onwards, some with older aluminium composite cladding.
Where: Al Reem Island, Corniche, Marina
Downtown blocks
Concrete-framed flats and offices from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Where: Al Markaziyah, Hamdan Street, Khalidiyah
Villas & communities
Large new villa districts, including 735 villas under way on Hudayriyat Island.
Where: Hudayriyat, Saadiyat, Yas
Hotels & leisure
Resorts, hotels and theme parks with large-span roofs.
Where: Yas Island, Saadiyat, Corniche
Culture & civic
Museums and civic landmarks with complex, bespoke façades.
Where: Saadiyat Cultural District
Heritage
Coral-stone and early modern buildings under conservation.
Where: Qasr Al Hosn, Cultural Foundation
Industrial & logistics
Warehouses and plants with metal cladding and large roofs.
Where: Mussafah, ICAD, KEZAD
Current construction trends
Where Abu Dhabi is building now
Culture, leisure, rail and housing are driving the emirate's current building programme.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
Frank Gehry's museum opens on 11 December 2026, with about 80,000m² of built space and 30 galleries.
Disney on Yas Island
Disney and Miral announced a Disney theme park on Yas Island in May 2025. Miral will build and run it, and no opening date has been set.
Etihad Rail
Passenger trains started running in June 2026 and now link Abu Dhabi with Dubai and Fujairah. The freight network covers 900km.
Hudayriyat Island
Modon awarded an AED 5bn contract in December 2025 for 735 villas at Nawayef East and Nawayef West.
Citizens' housing
The Abu Dhabi Housing Authority has paid out more than AED 183bn in housing benefits since it was set up, with new packages through 2026.
Safer façades
The UAE Fire and Life Safety Code requires tested, fire-retardant cladding on new buildings. Older cladding only has to be replaced during maintenance, so owners need clear advice on the risk.
How we help in Abu Dhabi
Every era of building has its own risks
We match our inspections and advice to the age and construction of your building.
Traditional coral stone and gypsumto 1960s
Eroding coral stone, failed gypsum and lime renders, salt damage and decayed timber.
Concrete-framed blocksc.1970–1995
Spalling concrete, corroded reinforcement, tired render and failing sealants in heat and salt air.
Towers with curtain walls and metal claddingc.1995–2017
Combustible-core aluminium composite panels, missing cavity barriers, leaking seals and failed gaskets.
New build and landmark projectstoday
Complex geometry, bespoke façade systems, testing and installation quality.
One Millennium Bridge, London: five glazing systems and three rooflight types inspected and glass-tested on site in one day.
One Millennium Bridge case study →FAQs
Façade services in Abu Dhabi
Do you work in Abu Dhabi?
Yes. As well as working across the UK and Ireland, we take on international instructions, including in Abu Dhabi. A Director-level consultant leads every instruction from the first conversation to the final report.
Can you review towers with aluminium composite cladding?
Yes. Our façade fire risk reviews and intrusive investigations confirm what cladding, insulation and cavity barriers are on the building, set out the risk with reference to the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code, and help owners plan any remediation.
Can you help with complex or bespoke façades?
Yes. We carry out design reviews, specification and tender reviews, and inspections during installation, so bespoke façades perform as intended.
How quickly can you respond to an enquiry?
We aim to respond to new enquiries within one working day, and we plan site visits and access around your programme.
Work with us
Own or manage a building in Abu Dhabi?
We provide façade condition surveys, defect and water ingress investigations, façade fire risk reviews, design reviews and technical due diligence in Abu Dhabi and across the UAE.
Photographs: David Rodrigo and Agnieszka Stankiewicz on Unsplash.