Situated on the coast, overlooking the Arabian Gulf, the building is on the outskirts of the city of Abu Dhabi surrounded by 30 hectares of gardens. Viewed from the sea, it appears like a huge white falcon perched on 'the shore with its wings outstretched. It is approached from inland via a flower-planted promenade, whose most striking feature are its palm trees, from beyond which lie the sands of surrounding grounds.

The interaction of the building with the sea, gardens and sand was carefully conceived to contrast the impact and power of water with the arid desert. The site was originally a deserted sandy plateau with limited access, connected to the city only by a highway. The poor quality of the soil required 1,000 tones of infill material and nearly 15,000 piles, bored to support the structure evenly.