Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, UAE


Abu Dhabi (Arabic: أبوظبي) is the capital and second most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. It covers 67.34 sq km (26 sq mi) and has a population of 897,000 people (2012 estimate).

Abu Dhabi skyline


Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven member emirates that form the UAE. It is located on an island off the central western coast of the country. The city is home to the Abu Dhabi Emiri Family of which the President of the UAE is drawn, and is also the seat of the government of the United Arab Emirates. The city serves as the political, industrial hub of UAE, and is also the major commercial center. It generates 57% of the GDP of the country.

According to archaeological evidence, human habitation in the Abu Dhabi area began in the 3rd millennium BC. Earliest settlements have been discovered outside Abu Dhabi proper, close to the city of Al Ain.

The modern history of Abu Dhabi is believed to start in the late 18th century, after the Al Nahyan Family migrated there. This is the ruling family in Abu Dhabi today. Until the discovery of oil in the late 1950s, Abu Dhabi was just a small, impoverished coastal town that depended on the pearl industry. The oil wealth has given the United Arab Emirates one of the highest GDP per capita in the world, and Abu Dhabi owns the lion share of the resources, including 95% of the oil and 6% of the gas.

Until recently, the economy of the United Arab Emirates has been entirely dependent on oil, but not so anymore. Today the non-oil and gas GDP has overtaken that of the energy sector, constituting 64% of the total GDP of the UAE. To reduce its reliance on oil and gas, Abu Dhabi has diversified into real estate, tourism, retail and other industries.

Abu Dhabi architecture

Sights & Attractions to visit in Abu Dhabi

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