Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi –The capital of the UAE.

Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven emirates in the federation that makes up the  United Arab Emirates and capital city of U.A.E

With year round sunshine, amazing sand dunes, pristine beaches and a buzzing cosmopolitan lifestyle, it is no wonder that a huge percentage of the  population consists of expats who have found their calling in Abu Dhabi.

While Abu Dhabi is known around the world for its considerably large reserves of oil and for its majestic mosques, it has quite piqued the interest of travellers and tourists who are attracted by the world class infrastructure, luxurious starred hotels and resorts, spas, theatres, designer golf courses, shopping malls and traditional souqs and a list of unending discoveries.

Abu Dhabi is situated in the Arabian gulf region and is adjoined by the sultanate of oman and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  Abu Dhabi derives its name from the arabian gazelle known as ‘Dhabi’.  Legend has it that the island of Abu Dhabi was discovered by the early Bani Yas tribe hunters when they were tracking a gazelle and found a rare fresh water spring in the island.  The primary occupations until the middle of the twentieth century were camel herding, fishing, agriculture, pearl diving and fishing.  However, almost everything changed in 1958 when oil was discovered and the transformation of Abu Dhabi to what it is today took place at a blazing speed.

Abu Dhabi is blessed with sunshine and blue skies on a daily basis, but experiences a very hot and humid climate in the months of April to Septmber when the mercury rises to a peak upwards of 40 degrees centigrade.  Sandstorms during these months can be sudden and unpredictable with visibility down to just a few metres on some occasions.  In the months between October to March, you will find cooler climes, and December to February are actually quite pleasant in the evenings.  As expected, most buildings  have air conditioning to keep the outside heat away.