Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ABU DHABI
02 / POP 1.63 MILLION
Abu Dhabi has invested heavily in culture, education and environmental innovation in re-
cent years. Slowly, almost stealthily, the largest - and wealthiest - emirate is emerging
from the shadow of Dubai, its glamorous northern neighbour. In other words, if you haven't
visited for a while, you'll be in for a surprise.
On Saadiyat Island, a gaggle of starchitects is designing an entire cultural district that
will include branches of the Louvre and the Guggenheim. Near the airport, construction of
Masdar, the world's first carbon-neutral city, is progressing nicely. Elsewhere in town, fu-
turistic skyscrapers are forever changing the skyline, most notably the disc-shaped HQ and
the Gate Tower, a glass-and-steel behemoth that's deliberately leaning 18 degrees (14 de-
grees more than the Tower of Pisa!). Already completed is the glorious Sheikh Zayed
Grand Mosque, whose snowy white marble domes hover above the city like a mirage. Near
the airport, Yas Island is a sparkling new tourist development headlined by the Ferrari
World Abu Dhabi theme park and the spectacular Yas Hotel, which literally has a Formula
1 racetrack roaring through it.
Abu Dhabi is by far the largest emirate, comprising almost 87% of the country's total
area. Looking at the city today, it's hard to imagine that only decades ago, it was little more
than a fishing village with a fort, a few coral buildings and a smattering of
barasti
huts. To
get a sense of the past, head to the enigmatic desert, peppered with oases such as Al Ain
and Liwa. While the emirate may have become rich from what lies beneath, a strong con-
nection to the desert and the sea is something that remains more important than petrodol-
lars.
