Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven emirates making up the United Arab Emirates and constitutes nearly 86.7% of the nation's total land area including nearly 200 islands. This makes Abu Dhabi the largest as well as the most populated of all the emirates. The cities of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, are the two largest in the emirates. Abu Dhabi does not have a long history as the place was inhabited just about 250 years back. In 1760, Bani Yas (a nomadic tribe) discovered water on the Island of Abu Dhabi and constructed their first township there. For most part of history, it remained a small place fishing village till oil was discovered here around 50 years back.

This transformation from a small fishing village to one of the most modern cities in the world is solely because of the large amounts of revenues from oil, which was first discovered here a few decades ago. This newfound prosperity of the city is clearly reflected in its modern infrastructure, shopping complexes, and recently developed tourist attractions. For an average tourist, this is one of the safest tourist destinations in the world with some of the best tourist facilities you can get. While Abu Dhabi is a vibrant and captivating city with an impressive skyline, parks and gardens, luxury hotels, palatial villas and mansions, wide boulevards and beaches, Al Ain, the Garden City of the UAE, has an abundance of greenery with well-maintained parks and gardens.The oasis city, 148 kms from Abu Dhabi, also has a history dating back to 4 millennium BC.

Abu Dhabi's oil wealth has been wisely utilized to encourage a healthy trade and commerce atmosphere, including those apart from oil industries. State-of-the-art communication services and transport, the presence of all the international luxury hotel chains, rich shopping malls, cultural centers and events have made the emirate a favorite destination for visitor and home to many nationalities. Activities range from shopping in the upmarket shops to haggling in the souk (market), travelling in an air conditioned limousine to riding a camel in the desert, dining in five-star luxury to sampling Bedouin hospitality under the night sky.

Economy

As the wealthiest Emirate, Abu Dhabi is also considered the richest city in the world[4]. Each of Abu Dhabi's 420,000 citizens is worth $17 million (AED 62 million), and more than $1 trillion is invested worldwide in this city alone. Yet according to CNN, "guest workers," who constitute the majority of the population, "do not share the wealth." The Gross Domestic Product per capita also reached $63,000 [5], 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 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.

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 delivered to post-office boxes only; there is no door-to-door delivery. 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.

Cultural Destinations

White Fort - One of the landmarks of Abu Dhabi, The Al Hosn Palace, commonly known as the White Fort, dates back over 200 years. Home of the former ruling family it is the oldest building in Abu Dhabi. The Palace is also home to the Cultural Foundation where many interesting exhibits of traditional artefacts and photographs are displayed. The courtyard and tile work over the main gate are particularly beautiful.

Heritage Village - The village is situated in the middle of Abu Dhabi and is a living exhibition of the lifestyle and traditions of Bedouin and other culture's.

Hili Gardens - Impressive ancient tombs, some more than 4000 years old, is of interest here.

Liwa Oasis - About a five hour drive from the city of Abu Dhabi is Liwa, one of the largest oasis in Arabia and a gateway to Rub Al Khali or Empty Quarter. The place makes a refreshing change with freshwater pools and date plantations. It is also home to the Bedu people, known for their hospitality.

Jabel Hafit - Close to Al Ain, is this craggy mountain rising steeply from the surrounding desert. An area noted for its flora and fauna (it is one of the last remaining habitats of the rare Arabian tahr), the mountain can be accessed by excellent roads which wind its way right upto the summit, providing a panaromic view of the Empty Quarter. Also of interest are the numerous caves, sites of archaeological excavations, and Ain Al Fayda, a top health resort located over a natural hot spring.

Al Ain Museum - Location within the confines of Al Jahili fort, the nation's largest museum is divided into ethnological and historical sections. Interesting displays include Bedouin artifacts, archaeological excavations of 2700 BC, 500 BC stone instruments and relics dug up from Fossil Valley.

Al Ain Zoo and Aquarium - The 1969 zoo houses an extremely large and varied collection of wildlife from all over the world. The zoo is also well know for its display of Arabia's indigenous wildlife which includes the spectacular Arabian oryx.

Qattarah Oasis - This small, beautiful sylvan oasis studded with date palms and fruit orchards and located on the edge of Al Ain is noted for its archaeological sites. Some of the ancient relics found here, including beautiful gold jewellery, have been displayed today in the Al Ain museum.

The Cultural Foundation - Located in the Khalidiya Street, the foundation houses a weekly art exhibition, library, theatre auditorium, and lecture rooms. The centre is considered as the cultural heartbeat of the city.

The Corniche - A park-lined coastal boulevard that skirts the city, with a backdrop of modern buildings facing the sea, it is one of the most picturesque sites in Abu Dhabi.

Shopping

In today's world, the word shopping is synonymous to Abu Dhabi. The city presents a variety of shopping plazas in and around the city that display some of the most modern and exclusive goods in the world. People from all over the world flock to Abu Dhabi to lighten their pockets of some valuable 'moolas' during the Abu Dhabi Shopping Festival held every year in the month of March. During other times, one can visit the famous Old Souk, apparently an ideal place when it comes to buying precious metals such as gold, electronics goods, clothes, cars and virtually everything. This apart, Al Nasr Street, another important market place, has a number of antique shops and jewelers stores. While here, one should also make it a point to visit the duty-free shops located at almost all major points in the city.