History
Civilisations have existed on the rich coastline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for many centuries and depended on the natural harbours of Abu Dhabi for refuge and relief since time immemorial. That said it has only been in the last half a century or so that the emirate of Abu Dhabi, the largest of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, has blossomed into one of the world’s wealthiest nations. Bedouin tribes discovered the regions most valuable resource back in 1793, when a sizeable freshwater well was uncovered on the archipelago that makes up Abu Dhabi, thus convincing the ruling Al Nahyan family to make the area their permanent home. By the 1800s, the economy here depended primarily on pearling and trading, which made it a target for many of the worlds greedy colonial powers. To try and counter this threat Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates accepted the protection of Britain in 1892 and formed the ‘Trucial States’. In 1939, Abu Dhabi granted concessions to a British company to search for oil. In 1958, huge reserves were discovered offshore. Four years later, exports began and Abu Dhabi went from relative rags to huge riches in a matter of months.
The British formerly withdrew from the region in the late 1960s and encouraged the separate states to unite under one flag, which was duly achieved in 1971 when the federation of the United Arab Emirates was created, and the modern father figure of the nation - Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan - was elected president until his sad passing in 2004.
To this day Sheikh Zayed is revered and credited for his far-sighted vision in bringing about radical changes to the local way of life in areas such as education, roads, housing and women’s welfare, which were all priorities under his development scheme. But perhaps one of his greatest achievements was the re-forestation of huge swathes of desert between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in his attempt to re-generate the desert landscapes. Environmental issues were high on Sheikh Zayed’s agenda and what he achieved in his lifetime may in time prove his greatest legacy.
Politics
Abu Dhabi is one of seven emirates that make up the federation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the most important economically, the capital of the nation and the power house for the country’s oil and gas wealth. As in other Gulf states the ruling families who can trace their ancestry to the ruling tribes of the region dominate the political landscape. In Abu Dhabi the Al-Nayhans hold all key positions in the city-state’s government; their power is absolute and their decisions are largely popular because they have overseen a period of prosperity. They sit on The Supreme Council of Rulers – the highest authority in the land – which comprises the rulers of the seven emirates. That said the ruler of Abu Dhabi, President HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who recently took office after the sad death of his father is not only the ruler of Abu Dhabi but also the president of the UAE. As the wealthiest of the emirates Abu Dhabi subsidises a number of its smaller federation partners and is keen to foster greater interdependence of the emirates, even though individual emirates have some sense of autonomy.Religion
Islam is the official religion of Abu Dhabi and the rest of the emirates, while mist of the other world religions are tolerated and practiced in the city. There are a variety of Christian churches to choose from but public preaching is not allowed. Remember that you are in a proud Muslim country and their religion should be respected as such. Devout Muslims are required to pray to Mecca five times a day according to the position of the sun.
Most pray in mosques, answering the azzan or call to prayer, although it’s not uncommon to see people praying on the side of the road following the call to prayer. Do not stare at or photograph worshippers, do not try and enter a mosque and do not offend the religion.
Economy
Abu Dhabi is the largest and wealthiest emirate in the UAE and can claim to have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world thanks to the fact that almost 90% of the countries oil reserves can be found in the emirate. Since the discovery of 10% of the world’s known crude oil reserves the wealth of the country has mushroomed and even if the production continued at the rate of today – 2.5 million barrels per day – it would last for another 100 years at least. Large reserves of gas have also been found in the last few years, estimated at 4% of the world’s known reserves. Oil is obviously the cash horse but trade in the form of free zones, communications and tourism are also areas that have received a massive cash injection recently.
Population
Figures are sketchy and always changing but at the last count Emirati’s accounted for only 20% of the UAE population, with the major emphasis being on ex-pat workforces to fuel the booming economy. In the 1990s the population grew by 6% a year reaching an estimated 4.1 million by mid 2003. Of that figure Abu Dhabi accounts for almost 1.6 million of the population and can boast the highest life expectancy in the Arab world.