United Arab Emirates » Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is the capital and second most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  It is the seat of government of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The city lies on a T-shaped island, sticking out in the Persian Gulf from the central western coast. Approximately 900,000 people lived in Abu Dhabi, of whom 80% were expatriates. It is known as one of the richest cities in the world. Abu Dhabi is ruled by Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the President of the UAE. Sunny/blue skies are expected throughout the year. However, the dry desert air and cooler evenings make it a traditional move back from the strong summer heat and year round humidity of the capital city.

The majority of the inhabitants of Abu Dhabi are expatriate workers from India, Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Britain various countries from across the Arab world and elsewhere. Languages like English, Tagalog, Tigrinya, Amharic, Bengali and Urdu are widely spoken. The native-born populations are Arabic-speaking. The Al Nahyan family, part of the al-Falah branch of the Bani Yas clan, rules the emirate and has an inner place in society. The old fishing, pearling, camel herding and date-producing village of Abu Dhabi has been changed into a modern city with plenty of high-rise buildings, wide boulevards and luxury hotels.

There are still some traces of the old days in the city, including souks, markets and skill centres, but they are surrounded by a very modern and extremely rich city landscape. Abu Dhabi is more and more asserting itself as a comfort travel and business purpose as well as a cultural centre in the region. It has a number of attractions, such as the Petroleum Exhibition, the Heritage Village, the beautiful Corniche (beach), the Al Hisn Fort, the old souk, the Breakwater Island and Sheikh Zayed's palace.

Many top class hotels and restaurants, like the esteemed Emirates Palace Hotel, supposedly the most luxurious in the world, are situated along the downtown section of the Corniche, overlooking many sandy islets that are quickly undergoing progress.