NYUAD will be located on Saadiyat Island, 500 meters off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The island, now undeveloped, is being planned for a population of 150,000 with a cultural district featuring several museums, including the Guggenheim Museum and the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
A master planning process was launched in June 2008 to establish a physical and spatial framework for development of the campus. Design guidelines will develop a basic vocabulary for the campus; the guidelines will reflect underlying design goals, such as responsiveness to the climate, and address such issues as building materials and height. Individual buildings will then be designed by a variety of architects. Construction will begin once master planning and design have been completed. Throughout the planning, design and construction process, updated information and images will be available on the NYUAD website.