Abu Dhabi municipality has started a month long face lift of a popular Abu Dhabi beach in order to accommodate an increased number of visitors expected this summer.   The beach is popular because its entrance fee is very low compared to the exorbitant rates of private beaches and hotels.   The number of visitors is expected to surge dramatically this season with the closure of a nearby public beach – Ras Alakhdar, so that a huge new presidential palace can be built.       

A site supervisor said the beach project includes “the construction of shops, bathrooms and toilets, amusement centers for children, bigger gates and other facilities.  More palm trees would also be planted.”  While Abu Dhabi is an island there are limited beaches due to many massive construction projects.   The construction of the Dh1.5 billion Emirates Palace Hotel, for example, occupies more than 500,000 square meters and removed a large swath of beach on the southwestern flank, beyond the Hilton Hotel.