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Abu
Dhabi Hotels
Abu Dhabi is both the capital and Federal capital of
the United Arab Emirates, and is the second largest of
the seven emirates. This second most populous city of
the UAE lies on a T-shaped island with its futuristic
skyscrapers rising from the desert coast of the Persian
Gulf.
Among the modern island city there are remains of an
older and more cultural society. Abu Dhabi comprises of
international luxurious hotels, never-ending shopping
malls, extensive entertainment and leisure facilities,
along beautiful green streets and parks.
The city’s origin reflects its true prestige, as it
was a major hub for the pearl industry before it had
discovered its rich reserves of oil. There is a stretch
of traditional wooden dhows along the harbour, which
were not just used for fishing but also for pearl
diving.
Abu Dhabi is known as the most important cultural
city in the UAE, attracting many visitors to its
established Cultural Foundation centre, which is
responsible for hosting various art exhibitions and
musical performances from all over the globe.
Abu Dhabi is one of the most prosperous and rapidly
developing cities in the world, with an impressive
population of 1.45 million (2008). In just over half a
century it has become a major centre for tourism, as
well as transforming from a small Bedouin village into a
thriving investment enterprise.
Abu Dhabi’s people today enjoy
living in modern, technologically advanced surroundings,
a huge historic leap from living in simple mud-brick
huts like some of its previous settlers.
The emirate is rich in
archeological finds. There has been evidence that the
very first settlements were from the 3rd millennium BC
in some regions of Abu Dhabi. Its early history
resembles that of the nomadic period with typical
herding and fishing lifestyles.
Settlements can be traced back as far as over 5000
years ago, and have been found around parts of Abu
Dhabi, such as Jebel Hafeet near Al Ain and on the
island of Umm al Nar.
Abu Dhabi’s most significant settlement was those of
the Bani Yas Bedoiun tribe which were located by the
coast around the 16th Century. Afterwards, the discovery
of fresh water led the tribe to relocate to the island
which was more fertile with large quantities of
wildlife. Soon after, the ruling Al Nahyan family
decided to flee to the island also.
Under the rule of Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa, Abu Dhabi
thoroughly developed through the trading of pearls, and
in 1892 came the very first exclusive treaty linking Abu
Dhabi with Great Britain. The emirates location was seen
as a great strategic convenience connecting it with
India and the east, and it was established as the
Trucial coast.
Whilst Abu Dhabi’s wealth was looking on the upside,
it was badly hit by the intervention of Japan’s pearl
industry and also by the 1930’s global recession.
Furthermore, Sheik Zayed bin Khalifa passed away which
added more uncertainty to Abu Dhabi’s prosperity.
However, this was not the end of Abu Dhabi’s
fortunes. In 1939 Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan
granted petroleum concession to the Trucial Coast
Development Oil Company, (renamed the Abu Dhabi
Petroleum Company, ADPC, in 1962) in a bid to search for
large oil reserves. In 1958, huge offshore oil reserves
were discovered and a year later onshore reserves were
also found. It was not until 1962 that the oil exports
began, leading Abu Dhabi on to the road of unbelievable
wealth.
In 1966 Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan became the
new ruler of Abu Dhabi and two years later he formed the
federation of the United Arab Emirates, which was in
response to the British threatening to withdraw from the
region by the end of 1971. The ruler of Abu Dhabi
realised that his connection with Britain was vital in
order to maintain a strong position in the oil industry.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan was elected as the
first president and with the assistance of the British
started to carry out his vision of developing the
country with the advantage of increased oil
revenues.
Sheikh Zayed was known as the
‘Father of the Nation’ due to his great developments of
the city of Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately he passed away in
2004 and his son Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan was
elected as president and made sure he would continue his
father’s legacy.
Sheik Khalifa has invested oil reserves sensibly in
order to boost tourism figures; an ambitious 3 million
target by 2015 has been announced. With the outstanding
determination of the Al Nahyan family reign, anything is
possible.
Key fascinating and impressive developments have been
implemented, such as the Saadiyat Island and Al Grum
Resort in order to attract visitors from all over the
globe.
Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, has come a long
way; rapidly re-constructing itself into a flawless
city, with extraordinary sky scrapers, shopping malls,
top quality hotels and picturesque gardens. It is
certainly very different from what it was 50 years ago,
but its history still remains a prominent factor in its
path to success.
Culture
Abu Dhabi has been converted into a tourist
attraction, an up-to-date city with its sophisticated
high rise buildings, extensive entertainment facilities
and beautiful large gardens and parks. However, beneath
this modern portrayal lies a rich cultural
background.
The emirate’s culture is strongly embedded within the
Islamic traditions of Arabia, with many mosques
scattered around the city amongst the modern
architecture. Abu Dhabi consists of many nationalities
and cultures, which are all welcomed as long as they do
not jeopardise the Islamic religion. Although the city
has changed dramatically in the last 40 years by foreign
influences, the people of Abu Dhabi still uphold old
traditions and continue to promote their cultures to
those unaware of their prosperous heritage.
Abu Dhabi is known as the cultural heart of the UAE,
enthusiastically marketing cultural and sporting events
that represent its past. Sports include, camel racing
and dhow sailing, and cultural events include Arabic
poetry, dances and music.
Many locals dress traditionally, men in their full
length shirt-dress (dishdasha) with a white or red
checked head dress (gutra), whilst women wear a black
abaya – a long black robe and a headscarf (sheyla).
The official national language of Abu Dhabi is
Arabic, although, English, Hindi and Urdu are also
widely spoken in and around the city.
Abu Dhabi is the second largest city of the UAE.
Tourists can travel around the city exploring the
intriguing archaeological and historic sites, as well as
the interesting museums, beautiful parks, glamorous
shopping venues and adventurous water sports. This city
is a perfect combination of tradition and modernity that
welcomes everyone with respect and warm hospitality. Abu
Dhabi means the place full of gazelles, a cosmopolitan
city which offers extreme nightlife, a wide range of
restaurants, cultural and musical events for all
ages.
Smoking is banned in public areas but
many places provide smoking rooms. The Health Minister
of the city is planning to introduce stricter laws
regarding smoking in public areas due to the increasing
number of smokers especially aged between 12 and 16. Few
cities like Dubai are in the phase to ban smoking
completely and it is extended to hotels along with other
public areas. Tobacco consumption, advertisement and
promotion are banned by the Health Authority of Abu
Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi is considered a very safe city
and crime rate is very low. Even though crime rate is
near to zero, city police still maintain tight control
over security and safety issues. Therefore, it has
become one of the lowest crime rate cities in the world.
It is always safe to explore the city at any time but it
is always good to take a few precautions for general
safety. In this city, there are no major tourist traps
or places where the crime rate is a little high. It is
safe to travel at night and there is no need to be
overly concerned about security whilst travelling in
public transportation. Still it is advisable to take
standard precautions as we would take usually whilst
travelling outdoors.
Tipping is not expected in the Arab
countries, a service charge is added within the bills of
restaurants and hotels. Though, if you receive
exceptionally good service then in the form of
appreciation, staff members do expect a little extra
tip. Around 10 % - 15 % tipping can be given in hotels
or restaurants. Normally, at the airport, luggage
porters do expect a tip depending upon the number of
bags.
To travel around the city, there are
four major means of transportation available; taxi, bus,
tour, and rental cars or private cars. Abu Dhabi
international airport comprises of well advanced
facilities like boutiques, shops, sand golf course, and
much more. The airport’s architecture is a special
attraction for tourist and it has become an icon to
promote the tourism industry in the city. There is a
good network of roads in the city and hardly any major
traffic jams issues even in peak time. Modern bus
transportation is available at all major places 24
hours. Another cheaper option to explore the city will
be by taxi or car rental, which are conveniently located
all around the
city.
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