ArtForum‘s International news digest uncovers these interesting tidbits from a German newspaper:

Dubai cultural director Michael Schindhelm announced some bad news. Both the Middle East Center for Modern Art and the theater center designed by Zaha Hadid have been affected by the crisis. In Abu Dhabi, cultural representative Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh insisted that there would be no delays. “It is the express wish of the government that everything will be built as planned,” said Nusseibeh. The first work—a bridge designed by Hadid to link the capital to the cultural island Saadiyat—should be completed this September, although the inauguration date seems to be approaching faster than the structure can be built.Thomas Krens, who is behind the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, said that the museum’s new branch would contribute to the breakthrough of young Arab art by creating “an ambitious market sphere” for both institutions and artists. “That also means that their work will be commercialized,” noted Hadid, who has recently voiced mixed opinions about the procession of Western cultural managers and formats to the region.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi Plan for the Crisis (ArtForum)