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 Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates are for the most part an undiscovered jewel on the tourist map. Dubai is now well known but the rest of the emirates is unfamiliar to most and yet have a treasure trove of attractions to offer. The country is ancient but modern, traditional yet cosmopolitan. The cities are teeming with life but the desert appears to be empty. Barren desert landscapes give way to lush green oases. Majestic mountains plunge to a coastline of powder soft sand and azure waters. In the cities, traditional souks vie for trade with large modern shopping malls. Futuristic skyscrapers tower over traditional mosques. The streets are bustling with pedestrians but luxury cars are very much in evidence. In the vast desert, camel farms are still a major feature, whereas in other parts modern technology has taken over in support of the oil industry. Desert sand dunes reach up to mountains that have some first-class roads but many areas are impassable. Wooden dhows still ply the trade routes to exotic places but modern luxury yachts and container ships now share the same waters.
Welcome to this land of Contrasts. |
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| Abu Dhabi is the name of both the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the largest of the seven individual emirates which make up the country. The UAE was created as a federation and became a unified independent sovereign state in 1971. In addition to Abu Dhabi, which is the largest constituent in terms of both area and population, its members are Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. |
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| Historically, in such a harsh climate, communities inhabited areas where there was access to water. In the desert interiors, life was sustained by nomadic herding of camels, goats and sheep with date farming and limited cultivation of other crops around the scattered oases. On the coast, trade with neighbouring peoples and fishing became more important, as did the harvesting of pearls in some locations, until its decline in the 1930’s. Early in the19th century, the British gained a foothold in the Gulf and became increasingly more influential until their departure in 1971. This prompted seven leaders of various sheikhdoms in the southern Gulf to form the UAE. |
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Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the then ruler of Abu Dhabi, became the first President of the UAE. After he passed away in 2004, he was succeeded by his son, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as the Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the UAE.
This unity of the emirates led to an era of security and shared prosperity across the region that had been revolutionized with the discovery of oil and gas in 1958. With the revenue from these, the infrastructure and social services have been dramatically improved and are now amongst the best in the world. |
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The UAE has an area of 83,600 square kilometers, and 1318 kilometres of coastline
on both the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. The Hajjar Mountains form a backbone down the east of the country with the rest of the landscape comprising sandy beaches,
salt flats, gravel plains and vast areas of desert dunes.
The most pleasant time to visit is during the cooler months from November to March when temperatures average around 24C during the day and 13C at night. What little rainfall there is tends to fall during this period. April to October summer temperatures can soar to around 45C making a refreshing dip in the sea even more inviting. In the summer there is also high humidity but air conditioning helps to soften the impact. Sunny blue skies can be expected throughout the year.
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| The population of the UAE has grown dramatically over the last few decades and stands at over four million, many of whom are expatriate residents who live and work in the country. |
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| Arabic is the official language but English is widely spoken, especially in hotels and shops. |
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