- Arabic:
- Abū Ẓaby
Abu Dhabi
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What is Abu Dhabi?
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the Abu Dhabi emirate and the United Arab Emirates. The city is located on a triangular island just off the Persian Gulf coast, connected to the mainland by a short bridge.
In 1761, tribesmen settled there, moving their headquarters from the inland oasis in 1795. The discovery of oil in 1958 revolutionized the city's political and economic position, leading to modernization and development projects.
Abu Dhabi was made the provisional national capital in 1971 and became the permanent capital in the early 1990s.
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Where is Abu Dhabi located?
Abu Dhabi, the national capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is situated on a small triangular island off the Persian Gulf coast; a short bridge connects it to the mainland. The emirate of Abu Dhabi borders Qatar to the west, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Oman to the east.
In 1761, the Nahyan dynasty settled in Abu Dhabi, and by 1795, it became their headquarters. A compromise made Abu Dhabi the UAE's provisional capital in 1971, and it gained permanent status in the early 1990s.
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What role does Abu Dhabi play in the United Arab Emirates?
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the largest of the seven emirates, holding more than three-fourths of the federation's land area. In 1971, it was made the provisional capital, and in the early 1990s, it became the permanent national capital.
Abu Dhabi is the center of the UAE's oil industry and possesses about one-tenth of the world's total oil reserves. The city has grown into a modern metropolis thanks to oil revenues, and it has been able to invest in large-scale construction projects and cultural development. Abu Dhabi has also used its wealth to support less prosperous emirates in the UAE, other countries in the Arab world, and developing countries elsewhere.
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What is the climate like in Abu Dhabi?
Abu Dhabi has a hot and humid climate along the coast and a hotter, dry climate in the interior. Rainfall averages only 4 to 6 inches (100 to 150 mm) annually but fluctuates. The average January temperature is 64 °F (18 °C), while in July, the temperature averages 91 °F (33 °C). Summertime highs can reach 115 °F (46 °C) on the coast and 120 °F (49 °C) or more in the desert. In midwinter and early summer, winds blow from the north and northwest, bearing dust and sand.
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What are some important landmarks or attractions in Abu Dhabi?
Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates' national capital, offers a blend of cultural and modern attractions. The Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island is a universal museum featuring art from around the world. Also on Saadiyat Island, the Zayed National Museum is under construction and will chronicle the history of the UAE through the life of Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan Al Nahyan.
Other attractions include Port Zayed, a major shipping center, and numerous wildlife research centers. The city also has many universities, such as the United Arab Emirates University and Abu Dhabi University.
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How has Abu Dhabi grown and changed in recent years?
Abu Dhabi has grown from a small town into a modern city after the discovery of oil in 1958, which revolutionized its political and economic position. In the early 1990s, Abu Dhabi was made the permanent capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Abu Dhabi has focused on large-scale construction projects and cultural development to promote tourism and retain residents. This includes developing a cultural and tourism hub with museums, such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which opened in 2017.
Abu Dhabi has also developed its infrastructure with an excellent road system, international airport, and major shipping center. Additional public transit projects, including monorail service in Abu Dhabi and linkages to the Saudi rail networks, have been planned as well.
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Abu Dhabi, city and capital of Abu Dhabi emirate, one of the United Arab Emirates (formerly Trucial States, or Trucial Oman), and the national capital of that federation. The city occupies most of a small triangular island of the same name, just off the Persian Gulf coast and connected to the mainland by a short bridge. Abu Dhabi was formerly an undeveloped town of only local importance, but the emirate’s oil revenues enabled it to evolve into a modern city with a fully developed infrastructure.
No settlement existed at Abu Dhabi town before 1761, when tribesmen of the Āl Bū Falāh clan of the Banū Yās confederation, rulers of Abu Dhabi then as now, settled there. They moved their headquarters to this coastal islet from the inland Līwā (Al-Jiwāʾ) oasis in 1795. Through most of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the town, though capital of one of the chief sheikhdoms of the Trucial Coast, yielded pride of place in trade and economic importance to the towns of Dubai and Sharjah, capitals of neighbouring Trucial sheikhdoms. At the beginning of the 20th century, Abu Dhabi town’s population was estimated at 6,000, and pearl diving from the rich offshore banks and some local trade (chiefly in the hands of Iranians and Indians) sustained the economy. Pearling declined with the development of the Japanese cultured-pearl industry and the worldwide economic depression beginning in 1929.
The discovery (1958) and commercial production (since 1962) of the rich oil fields of Abu Dhabi emirate revolutionized the political and economic position of the town. Great Britain, as the protecting power of the then Trucial States, established a separate Political Agency at Abu Dhabi in 1961, removing the sheikhdom from dependence on the political agent at Dubai. As capital of the chief oil-producing state in the region, Abu Dhabi town had large sums available for urban development. The town modernized slowly, however, because of the extremely conservative policies of Sheikh Shakhbout ibn Sultan Al Nahyan (reigned 1928–66). In 1966 he was deposed in favour of his younger brother Zayed ibn Sultan, former governor of the Abu Dhabi-controlled portion of Al-Buraimi oasis. Sheikh Zayed began developing a road network radiating from Abu Dhabi town and had a seawall built along the northern end of the island containing the town. Under an ambitious five-year development plan, inaugurated in 1968, the town was thoroughly modernized. Electricity, running water, and a central sewerage system were installed, and modern government buildings, hotels, housing projects, and a new port extension were built. An oil refinery on nearby Umm al-Nār Island began production in 1976. Abu Dhabi’s international airport is at the south end of the island. Light industry is concentrated at nearby Muṣaffaḥ. Motor roads link the cities of Abu Dhabi with Dubai (northeast), Al-Ain oasis (east), and Qatar (west).
When Britain finally left the Persian Gulf and when the United Arab Emirates achieved political independence (December 1971), a compromise decision made Abu Dhabi the provisional national capital. It was made the permanent capital of the United Arab Emirates in the early 1990s. Since that time, a number of projects have been initiated to expand the city as a centre for tourism and commerce. Development plans in Abu Dhabi rapidly led to the construction of a variety of landmark hotels, the establishment of an international airline, Etihad (Al-Ittiḥād) Airways, to serve the capital, and the development of a range of commercial and residential properties. Pop. (2015 est.) 1,202,756.