Abu Dhabi

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Abu Dhabi (Arabic: أبو ظبي‎ transliteration: abū ẓabī, literally Father of gazelle^[1]) is the capital and second most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), after Dubai. It is also the seat of government of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western coast. Approximately 850,000^[2] people live in Abu Dhabi as of 2008. One of the world's largest producers of oil, Abu Dhabi has actively attempted to diversify its economy in recent years through investments in financial services and tourism. Abu Dhabi city is the seat of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, which is ruled by Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, – the President of the UAE.

History

Parts of Abu Dhabi were settled in the 3rd millennium BC and its early history fits the nomadic herding and fishing pattern typical of the broader region. Modern Abu Dhabi traces its origins to the rise of an important tribal confederation, the Bani Yas, in the late 18^th century, which also subsequently assumed control of the town of Dubai. In the 19^th century the Dubai and Abu Dhabi branches parted ways.

Into the mid-20th century, the economy of Abu Dhabi continued to be sustained mainly by camel herding, production of dates and vegetables at the inland oases of Al Ain and Liwa Oasis, and fishing and pearl diving off the coast of Abu Dhabi city, which was occupied mainly during the summer months. Most dwellings in Abu Dhabi city were, at this time constructed of palm fronds (barasti), with the wealthier families occupying mud huts. The growth of the cultured pearl industry in the first half of the twentieth century created hardship for residents of Abu Dhabi as pearls represented the largest export and main source of cash earnings.

In 1939, Sheikh Shakhbut Bin-Sultan Al Nahyan granted petroleum concessions, and oil was first found in 1958. At first, oil money had a marginal impact. A few lowrise concrete buildings were erected, and the first paved road was completed in 1961, but Sheikh Shakbut, uncertain whether the new oil royalties would last, took a cautious approach, preferring to save the revenue rather than investing it in development. His brother, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, saw that oil wealth had the potential to transform Abu Dhabi. The ruling Al Nahyan family decided that Sheikh Zayed should replace his brother as ruler and carry out his vision of developing the country. On August 6, 1966, with the assistance of the British, Sheikh Zayed became the new ruler. ^[3]

With the announcement by the UK in 1968 that it would withdraw from the Persian Gulf area by 1971, Sheikh Zayed became the main driving force behind the formation of the United Arab Emirates.

After the Emirates gained independence in 1971, oil wealth continued to flow to the area and traditional mud-brick huts were rapidly replaced with banks, boutiques and modern highrises.

The emirate of Abu Dhabi is located in the oil-rich and strategic United Arab Emirates and is an active member of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). It borders with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (south) and the Sultanate of Oman (east). The emirate borders the emirate of Dubai to its northeast. In the north is the Persian Gulf.

Abu Dhabi city is on an island located less than 250 metres from the mainland and is joined to the mainland by the Maqta and Mussafah Bridges. A third bridge, designed by Zaha Hadid, is currently under construction. Bridges connecting to Reem Island and Saadiyat Island are also under construction.

Most of Abu Dhabi is located on the island itself, but it has many suburbs on the mainland for example: the Khalifa Cities, Between Two Bridges, and Mussafah Residential.

Language and literature

The majority of the inhabitants of Abu Dhabi are expatriate workers from India, Pakistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Philippines, the United Kingdom and various countries from across the Arab world. Consequently, English, Tagalog, Tigrinya, Amharic, Bengali, and Urdu are widely spoken. Apart from Hindi, many Indian expatriates also contribute other South Asian languages to the cultural milieu, including Malayalam, widely spoken in Kerala.

The native-born population are Arabic-speaking Persian Gulf Arabs who are part of a clan-based society. The Al Nahyan family, part of the al-Falah branch of the Bani Yas clan, rules the emirate and has a central place in society.

Current ruler

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the hereditary ruler of Abu Dhabi (UAE). He is the son of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the United Arab Emirates.

Economy

Marina Mall.

Abu Dhabi is the wealthiest emirate of the UAE in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and per capita income. The average net worth for Abu Dhabi's 420,000 citizens is AED 62 million (US$ 17 million), and more than $1 trillion is invested worldwide in this city alone. The GDP per capita also reached $63,000 ^[4], which is far above the average income of the United Arab Emirates and which ranks third in the world after Luxembourg and Norway. Abu Dhabi is also planning many future projects sharing with the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and taking 29% of all the GCC future plannings. The United Arab Emirates is a fast-growing economy: in 2006 the per capita income grew by 9%, providing a GDP per capita of $49,700 and ranking third in the world at Purchasing power parity. Abu Dhabi plays a large role in the world economy. Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), currently estimated at US$ 875 billion, is the world's wealthiest soverign fund, in terms of total asset value.

Climate

Sunny/blue skies can be expected throughout the year. The months of April through September are generally hot and humid with maximum temperatures averaging above 40 °C (104 °F). During this time, sandstorms also occur intermittently, in some cases reducing visibility down to a few meters.

The weather is cooler from November to March. This period also sees dense fog on some days. The oasis city of Al Ain, about 150 km (93 mi) away, bordering Oman, regularly records the highest summer temperatures in the country, however the dry desert air and cooler evenings make it a traditional retreat from the intense summer heat and year round humidity of the capital city.^[6]

Transport

Interior of Abu Dhabi airport.

Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) serves this city. Private vehicles and taxis are the primary means of transportation in the city. There is a 2 AED pick-up fee plus 0.50 AED per kilometre. There are bus routes to nearby towns such as Baniyas, Habashan and Al Ain, among others. A service to Dubai (about 160 km/99 mi away) started in 2005.

Bus transport

On 30 June 2008 the Department of Transport began public bus service in Abu Dhabi with four routes.^[7] All routes are free until the end of 2008 in an attempt to entice people to use the bus system.^[8] The four routes, which operate between 06:00 and 00:00 every day, come at a frequency of 10 to 20 minutes.^[8]

Within the first week of service, the bus network had seen high ridership. Some of the buses, which have a maximum capacity of 45 passengers, only had room for standing. Some bus drivers have reported as many as 100 passengers on the bus at one time.^[9] Although the new, free bus service has been a success, many taxi drivers are losing business. Taxi drivers have seen a considerable decrease in the demand for taxis while lines were forming for the buses.^[10]

In addition to the current four routes, six routes are expected to be added in August 2008.^[8] In 2009, the Department of Transport plans to have 21 bus routes in the city. A total of 1,360 buses are expected to be in operation by 2010.^[9]

City planning

The city was planned in the 1970s for an estimated maximum population of 600,000. In accordance with what was considered to be ideal urban planning at the time, the city has wide grid-pattern roads, and high-density tower blocks.

On the northerly end of the island, where the population density is highest, the main streets are lined with 20-story towers. Inside this rectangle of towers is a normal grid pattern of roads with lower density buildings (2 story villas or 6 story low-rise buildings).

Abu Dhabi city is a modern city with broad boulevards, tall office and apartment buildings, and busy shops. Principal thoroughfares are The Corniche, Airport Road, Sheikh Zayed Street, Hamdan Street and Khalifa Street.

Abu Dhabi city is known in the region for its greenery; the former desert strip today includes numerous parks and gardens.

Mail is generally delivered to post-office boxes only; however, there is door-to-door delivery for commercial organizations. There are many parks (or public gardens) throughout the city. Entrance is usually free for children, however there is often an entry fee for adults. The city has a "Corniche," or seaside promenade, about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) in length, with gardens, playgrounds, and a BMX/Skateboard ring.

The design of the inner city roads and main roads are quite organised. All horizontal streets (starting from Corniche street, St. # 1) are odd and the verticals are evenly numbered. So Corniche is Street #1, Khalifa is Street # 3, Hamdan is Street # 5, and so on. While Salam Street is St # 8.^[11]

Abu Dhabi has since established in 2007 the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC), the agency responsible for the future of Abu Dhabi’s urban environments, and the expert authority behind the visionary Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 Urban Structure Framework Plan published September 2007. The UPC is also working on similar plans for the Region of Al Ain and Western Region.

Planning problems

A street in Abu Dhabi city.

• The city's population far surpasses the original estimated maximum population when it was designed. This causes traffic congestion, a shortage of car parking spaces, and overcrowding.
• Although there is an addressing system for the city, it is not widely used, and so causes problems in describing building locations. This means directions must often be given based on nearby landmarks.
• The lack of a comprehensive, reliable, and frequent public transport system has led to a near complete dependence on private cars and taxis as a means of transport. However, plans to build light railway connections between the center and the airport, and onwards towards Dubai, have been announced.