FOR THE LAST few years, Abu Dhabi, the capital city and largest emirate of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been steadily stealing visitors away from its flashier neighbor, Dubai, enticing them with a growing collection of cultural attractions. The biggest bait, a 260,000-square-foot Louvre opened last year on Saaidyat Island, a short drive from Abu Dhabi city. If all goes well, a Guggenheim designed by Frank Gehry will soon follow, as well as Norman Foster’s Zayed National Museum, named for Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who became the first president of the UAE upon its federation in 1971. Some 200 islands—many...