Emirate Of Abu Dhabi

The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is one of seven emirates that constitute the United Arab Emirates. It is the largest emirate, accounting for 87% of the nation's total land area or .

Abu Dhabi also has the second-largest population of the seven emirates. In mid-2016, the emirate had a population of 2,908,000, with 551,500 being Emirati citizens, accounting for around 19% of the population. In 2023, the emirate's population had grown to 3,789,860. The city of Abu Dhabi, after which the emirate is named, is the capital of both the emirate and the federation.

In the early 1970s, two important developments influenced the status of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The first was the establishment of the United Arab Emirates in December 1971, with Abu Dhabi as its initially temporary political and administrative capital. The second was the sharp increase in oil prices following the Yom Kippur War, which accompanied a change in the relationship between the oil exporting countries in the Middle East and foreign oil companies, leading to a dramatic rise in oil revenues.

In 2023, Abu Dhabi had a nominal GDP of AED 1.02 trillion (US$277.9 billion), a nominal GDP per capita of US$84,900, and a government debt to GDP ratio of 16%. In 2022, the size of oil and mining trade increased by 54% and accounted for 48% of GDP. Construction was the next largest contributor at 7.9%, followed by the financial sector at 6.1%.

In recent times, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has continuously contributed around 60% of the GDP of the United Arab Emirates, while its population constitutes only 34% of the total UAE population according to the 2005 census.

Etymology

Before the area got the name Abu Dhabi, it was known as ''Milh'', which means salt in Arabic, probably because of the salt water in the area. Milh is still the name of one of the islands in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi means "father of the gazelle". The first use of the name goes back over 300 years. Since the origin of this name has been passed down from generation to generation through poems and legends, it is difficult to know the actual etymology of the name. It is thought that the name came about because of the abundance of gazelles in the area, and a popular folk tale about the founding of the city of Abu Dhabi involving Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab Al Nahyan.

History

Parts of Abu Dhabi were settled millennia ago, and its early history fits the nomadic herding and fishing pattern typical of the broader region. The Emirate shares the historical region of Al-Buraimi or Tawam (which includes modern-day Al Ain) with Oman, and is demonstrated to have been inhabited for over 7000 years.

Modern Abu Dhabi traces its origins to the rise of an important tribal confederation, the Bani Yas, in the late 14th century, which also assumed control of Dubai. In the late 18th century Abu Dhabi was formed. In the early 19th century, Dubai and Abu Dhabi branches parted ways.

The Emirate of Abu Dhabi was first established in 1540 after the fall of the Jabrids as the Emirate of Al Dhafrah. It was ruled by the Bani Yas, who are originally from the Bani Hilal tribe. Their rule in Al Dhafrah was cemented by the construction of the Al Dhafrah fort in 1543. Around 1761, the tribe discovered freshwater sources on Abu Dhabi Island, which lead them to establish the Abu Dhabi Emirate.

From 1881 to 1893, the emirate, under Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, was embroiled in a fierce war with Qatar. This culminated in the Battle of Khannour near the village of Maza'a from January 1889 to February 1889, which extended to several regions within the emirate, including Liwa, Al Dhafra and Al Ain. The emirate also had several victories over Qatar. Abu Dhabi demolished the capital, Doha, twice and occupied the broader Al Hasa region after Ottoman intervention. In 1893, an agreement jointly brokered by the British and Ottomans resolved the long-standing conflict between Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

The Emirate at its greatest extent stretched from Sohar, Oman to Al Hasa, Saudi Arabia, during the wars of the 3rd & 4th Destruction of Doha where the Emirate declared war on the Ottoman Empire and Qatar over a dispute. Contrary to popular belief, the emirate & the other 6 emirates weren’t under Omani rule, instead being independent self governing emirates. The name Omani Coast refers to the emirate’s location within the historical and cultural region of Oman, and not the Sultanate of Muscat & Oman.

Abu Dhabi was a base for the tribe to trade, dive for pearls, and for other maritime activities. Into the late-19th century, the economy of Abu Dhabi continued to flourish mainly by camel herding, production of dates and vegetables at the inland oases of Al-Ain and Liwa, and fishing and pearl diving off the coast of Abu Dhabi city, which was occupied mainly during the summer months. Most dwellings in Abu Dhabi city were, at this time, constructed of palm fronds (''barasti''), with the wealthier families occupying mud huts. These businesses were very profitable and a strong source of income for the local Dhabyanis, until cultured pearls were invented in the early 19th century in Japan which caused the pearl trade to crash. This continued until the late 1950s, when oil was discovered in the emirate & its coastlines.

In 1939, Sheikh Shakhbut Bin-Sultan Al Nahyan granted petroleum concessions, and oil was first found in 1958. At first, oil money had a marginal impact. A few low-rise concrete buildings were erected, and the first paved road was completed in 1961, but Sheikh Shakbut, uncertain whether the new oil royalties would last, took a cautious approach, preferring to save the revenue rather than investing it in development.

His brother, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, saw that oil wealth had the potential to transform Abu Dhabi. The ruling Nahyan family decided that Sheikh Zayed should replace his brother as ruler and carry out his vision of developing the country. On August 6, 1966, with the assistance of the British, Zayed became the new ruler.

With the announcement by the UK in 1968 that it would withdraw from the area of the Persian Gulf by 1971, Sheikh Zayed became the main driving force behind the formation of the UAE. After the Emirates gained independence in 1971, oil wealth continued to flow to the area, and traditional mud-brick huts were rapidly replaced with banks, boutiques and modern highrises.

Geography

The United Arab Emirates is located in the oil-rich and strategic Arabian or Persian Gulf region. It adjoins the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman.

Abu Dhabi is located in the far west and southwest part of the United Arab Emirates along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf between latitudes 22°40' and around 25° north and longitudes 51° and around 56° east. It borders the emirate of Dubai and emirate of Sharjah to its north.

The total area of the Emirate is , occupying about 87% of the total area of the UAE, excluding islands. The territorial waters of the Emirate embrace about 200 islands off its coastline. The topography of the Emirate is dominated by low-lying sandy terrain dotted with sand dunes exceeding in height in some areas southwards. The eastern part of the Emirate borders the western fringes of the Hajar Mountains. Hafeet Mountain, Abu Dhabi's highest elevation and sole mountain, rising , is located south of Al-Ain City.

Land cultivation and irrigation for agriculture and forestation over the past decade has increased the size of "green" areas in the emirate to about 5% of the total land area, including parks and roadside plantations. About 1.2% of the total land area is used for agriculture. A small part of the land area is covered by mountains, containing several caves. The coastal area contains pockets of wetland and mangrove colonies. Abu Dhabi also has dozens of islands, mostly small and uninhabited, some of which have been designated as sanctuaries for wildlife.

Climate

The emirate is located in the tropical dry region. The Tropic of Cancer runs through the southern part of the Emirate, giving its climate an arid nature characterised by high temperatures throughout the year, and a very hot summer. The Emirate's high summer (June to August) temperatures are associated with high relative humidity, especially in coastal areas. Abu Dhabi has warm winters with occasionally low temperatures. The air temperatures show variations between the coastal strip, the desert interior and areas of higher elevation, which together make up the topography of the Emirate.

Abu Dhabi receives scant rainfall but totals vary greatly from year to year. Seasonal northerly winds blow across the country, helping to ameliorate the weather, when they are not laden with dust, in addition to the brief moisture-laden south-easterly winds. The winds often vary between southerly, south-easterly, westerly, northerly and northwesterly. Another characteristic of the Emirate's weather is the high rate of evaporation of water due to several factors, namely high temperature, wind speed, and low rainfall.

The oasis

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