A multilevel governance analysis of Abu Dhabi retrofits and SDG 11 policy alignment

The sustainable urban development of Abu Dhabi aims at socioeconomic and environmental improvements, positioned within the UAE Vision 2031 strategy. A significant factor conditioning this purpose consists of heritage structures that were restored and repurposed as living cultural spaces, in the scope of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Such buildings function not only as practical venues but also as identity anchors, given their original administrative, domestic, or industrial functions. This paper uses a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)-inspired framework to assess four cases of retrofitted heritage buildings. Results indicate a consistent alignment with the protection of cultural heritage, as outlined in SDG 11.4, and the creation of inclusive public spaces, indicated by SDG 11.7. The practical examples from Abu Dhabi reflect a global orientation that takes cultural heritage as a key pillar of sustainable development, a concept fully translated into the UAE Vision 2031, which connects local initiatives with national ambitions. Findings illustrate the contribution of retrofitted heritage and urban sustainability to an SDG-structured agenda and specify the conditions under which such a contribution is most likely. Community impact assessments require further empirical research and may be extrapolated to other realities in the Gulf region and beyond.