Abu Dhabi is both the largest and the richest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, occupying around 80% of the country's total area. It has 400 km of Gulf coast (mostly salt marshes) and has numerous islands in the Gulf.
Abu Dhabi came into being after Bedouins of the Bani Yas tribe discovered a source of fresh water in 1761 and founded the first settlement. The capital of the United Arab Emirates is connected to the mainland by three bridges, the Al Maqta Bridge, the Mussafah Bridge and the Sheikh Zayed Bridge, which opened at the end of 2010, and is therefore very well connected in terms of transport. Star architect Zaha Hadid designed the Sheikh Zayed Bridge, with its S-shaped arches reminiscent of sand dunes.
The international airport, located about 30 km from the city, is easily accessible via the motorway. The government is proud of Etihad Airways. Abu Dhabi's boulevard is the 10km waterfront corniche (waterfront promenade), which was straightened in the late 20th century.
Other interesting sights are e.g. B. the Al Husn Fort, the Heritage Village or the Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan Mosque - one of the largest mosques in the world. Abu Dhabi's Lulu Island opened to the public in April 2007. The artificially raised island is only 6 km² in size.
In the years to come, Abu Dhabi has expanded considerably with man-made islands such as Yas Island and Reem Island. Entire districts with many hotels, restaurants, offices and shopping centers have been newly created. A number of luxury resorts were opened in 2011 on the offshore natural island of Saadiyat. Unique white and long sandy beaches are bordered by a golf course and allow relaxing stays. Saadiyat is not just a holiday island - cultural highlights such as the Louvre Museum and the Guggenheim Museum as well as concert and theater buildings are also part. You can also find the well-known Formula 1 racetrack here.
160 km southeast of Abu Dhabi, on the border with Oman, lies Al Ain, the "Garden City of the Arabian Gulf". It has large water resources, which can be seen in the magnificent green areas. About 370.000 people live here. A maximum of six-story buildings are permitted in the city, whose cultural sites were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011. The city offers many gardens and amusement parks, as well as a wide range of cultural activities. In the extensive surrounding area there are villas owned by the locals. A trip is also worthwhile because of the modern zoo, the amusement park Hili Fun City and the local history village.
A geological feature of Abu Dhabi is the area around the Liwa oases, which are about 100 km south of the Persian Gulf in the south of the emirate. It is a large oasis area stretching some 100 km in an east-west direction along a north-curved arc. Essentially, the oases lie between the towns of Hameem in the east and Liwa in the west.
In contrast to other oases, Liwa, which consists of over 50 individual oases, is not planted with greenery. The geographical and economic center of the oasis is Mezairaa, where the Tarif trunk road meets the oasis and then forks east (65 km to the easternmost village, Mahdar bin Usayyan) and west (45 km to the westernmost village, Arada). . About 20.000 people live in this fertile area. An important branch of the economy is the date palm culture. However, other types of fruit, vegetables and grass for animal supplies are also grown in the oases. Since the sandy soil here is not salty and there is enough groundwater a few meters below the surface of the earth, artificial irrigation systems, such as drip irrigation, are used to make the desert bloom. Greenhouses are also common. Thanks to the good infrastructure, tourism is also increasing. The annual Liwa Date Festival (Liwa Dattelfest) inspires around 75.000 visitors over ten days of events. The Liwa oasis is also a destination for sports tourists, because the nearby Moreeb dune, located around 25 km south of the oasis center Muzairi (Mezairaa), attracts motorsport fans. During the annual Moreeb Hill Championship, the 120 m high dune, 206 m above sea level, is the venue for competitions. South of Liwa Oasis is a dune field with the second highest dunes in the world. The view here is unique.
