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Abu Dhabi
, the capital of the UAE, is the largest of the seven Emirates making up
the UAE Federation. It has 94 per cent of the country's oil reserves,
covers around 87 per cent of the UAE's total land area and is home to 38 per
cent of the population. It is both the seat of the Federal Government and a
bustling business centre.
Located on the North-East coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Abu
Dhabi offers a strikingly contrasting landscape, from sandy beaches to green
oases, and from skyscrapers to rolling desert dunes. Its coastline is home to
nearly 200 islands offering fascinating scenery of untamed beaches.
The Emirate of Abu Dhabi consists of three administrative
regions: the capital city; the Al Gharbia (Western Region), which includes the
oases of Liwa and extends deeper into the famous Al Rubu Al Khali (Empty
Quarter); and the eastern oasis of Al Ain, better known as the "Garden City".
Early settlements in the Abu Dhabi region date back several
thousand years. The place was discovered by a group of hunters who found a big
herd of gazelles around a rare fresh water spring. They called it "Abu Dhabi",
which translates into "Father of the Gazelle".
For centuries, the population in coastal areas sustained
their living through pearl diving, fishing, and dhow trading, while those in the
desert interior led a more traditional Bedouin (nomadic) lifestyle.
Until the discovery of oil, the Emirate was little more than
a coastal trading community, but home to one of the biggest pearling fleets in
the Gulf.
The discovery of oil in the early 1960s quickly transformed
Abu Dhabi from a pearling centre into a global business powerhouse. Four decades
later, oil still remains the main driver of Abu Dhabi economy. The Emirate is
the world's fourth largest oil producer, contributing 10% of the world's oil and
5% of its gas production. Recently, however, the Emirate has announced various
initiatives aimed at diversifying its sources of income. These initiatives have
already begun to pay dividends with the Emirate fast evolving into a magnet of
foreign investment and a business hub.
Abu Dhabi is the most populous of the seven Emirates of the
UAE Federation, with around 1.6 million (or 38% of the total population) living
within its borders. Abu Dhabi is a cosmopolitan city that boasts one of the
highest per capita incomes and one of the lowest crime rates in the world.