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79-512: The Council holds periodical meetings in Abu Dhabi to discuss issues and memos referred by Abu Dhabi's departments and governmental authorities. These memos often concern the progress of government-sponsored projects, the development of services, reviewing government performance and appointing heads of local departments or agencies. All governmental departments report to the ADEC, and membership of

158-519: A mosque and a church , the full construction of which was announced to be completed by 2022. On 22 September 2019, the Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi held a ceremony to grant licenses to 17 churches and the first-ever traditional Hindu temple . The listed churches were Catholic , Orthodox and Protestant churches, including St Joseph's Cathedral . The initiative

237-554: A center of learning and discovery through its education and visitor programs. In July 2019, the Grand Mosque was listed among the top global attractions by TripAdvisor . As a part of its Travelers Choice Awards, the travel website placed the architectural masterpiece on number three out of the 750 landmarks considered from 68 countries. In May 2021, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center attended

316-653: A decree by Sheikh Khalifa in March 2017, is Al Ain City, and that of the western region, officially "Al Dhafra Region" as per the same decree, is Madinat Zayed . The Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi officially leads both the city and greater emirate with agencies operating out of Abu Dhabi with branches in other cities, the Abu Dhabi Government has various agencies and organisations operating across

395-545: A drive to promote tourism and real estate with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and the Tourism and Development Investment Company undertaking several large-scale development projects. These will be served by improved transport infrastructure, with a new port, an expanded airport and a proposed rail link between Abu Dhabi and Dubai all in the development stages. Abu Dhabi's Emirate is the wealthiest of

474-609: A folk tale involving Shakhbut bin Dhiyab al Nahyan . The Bani Yas was originally centered on the Liwa Oasis in the Emirate's western region. This tribe was the most significant in the area, having over 20 subsections. In 1793, the ruling Al Bu Falah subsection migrated to the island of Abu Dhabi on the coast of the Persian Gulf due to the discovery of fresh water there. The genealogically senior family within this section

553-466: A key fixture of the city's architectural patrimony. Its construction was initiated under the administration of the late President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, a key figure in the foundation of the modern United Arab Emirates. The mosque was constructed with materials from countries around the world, including Italy , Germany , Morocco , Pakistan , India , Turkey , Iran , China ,

632-519: A majlis session during which important matters can be brought to the attention of a Sheikh. After the Great Hall, it is the largest space in the UAE's Presidential Palace which holds up to 300 guests. In September 2019, the construction of UAE's first official synagogue was announced to begin in 2020, as a part of the multi-faith "Abrahamic Family House" complex in Abu Dhabi. It will also give space to

711-469: A modern city with tall offices, apartment buildings, broad boulevards, and busy shops is present. Principal thoroughfares are the Corniche, Airport Road, Sheikh Zayed Street, Hamdan Street, and Khalifa Street. Abu Dhabi is known in the region for its greenery; the former desert strip today includes numerous parks and gardens. The design of the inner city roads and main roads are quite organised. Starting from

790-575: A popular destination. The Etihad Towers and Emirates Palace Hotel were some of the city's landmarks used as filming locations for the movie Furious 7 , in which cars rush through the building and smashed through the windows of the towers. In 2018, Abu Dhabi launched Ghadan 21, a string of initiatives to diversify the economy. The total injection is AED 50 billion. There are four main areas these initiatives must fall under business and investment, society, knowledge and innovation and lifestyle. The first phase includes over 50 initiatives that reflect

869-510: A population of 40,000. The density of Abu Dhabi varies, with high employment density in the central area, high residential densities in central downtown and lower densities in the suburban districts. In the dense areas, most of the concentration is achieved with medium- and high-rise buildings. Abu Dhabi's skyscrapers such as the notable Burj Mohammed bin Rashid (World Trade Center Abu Dhabi) , Etihad Towers , Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Tower ,

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948-408: A portion of the season's earnings. There are three main journey of pear divers happen between the 5th and 9th month each year. Summer was the busiest time. Pearl divers made very deep dives, about 50 dives were made a day, each about 3 minutes long. In the 19th century, as a result of treaties (known as "truces" which gave the coast its name) entered into between Great Britain and the sheikhs of

1027-451: A sizable stake in the bank. Its investments in global real-estate at the market top in 2008 have also decreased substantially in value. Though it talks of its long-term success in generating returns, the fact that it has moved closer to the index and manages most of its funds through external third-party fund managers shows that its tolerance for risk-taking has greatly diminished over the years. However, ADIA's ratio of third-party fund managers

1106-522: A vital role in transforming the emirate of Abu Dhabi into a hub for culture and creative pursuits in the Arab world. The pearl diving business was a key industry prior to the discovery of oil reserves. According to a source about pearling, the Persian Gulf was the best location for pearls. The pearl industry boomed from the late 19th century through to the second decade of the 20th century, however it

1185-609: Is a sovereign wealth fund owned by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates , founded to invest funds on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi . It manages the emirate's excess oil reserves and is estimated to manage $ 993 billion. ADIA is one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world. ADIA's operations have been characterized as secretive and opaque. In 1967, Abu Dhabi emirate created

1264-528: Is a major purchaser of U.S. institutional real estate through various sub-entities. It often buys partial interest ownerships with leading real estate managers. ADIA also invests in development projects including malls. Many of ADIA's investments have decreased substantially since investments were made at market peaks in 2007 and 2008. The $ 7 billion investment in Citigroup has lost approximately 90% of its value as of 26 November 2009, 2 years after it acquired

1343-578: Is a member of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds . ADIA manages a substantial amount of capital and is one of the world's largest investment funds. Due to its size, the fund has been influential in international finance. In 2008, ADIA co-chaired the International Working Group of 26 sovereign wealth funds that produced the "Generally Accepted Principles and Practices of sovereign wealth funds" (known as

1422-447: Is being actively managed. In 2006, between 70% and 80% of the organization's assets were managed outside with an aim to bring that down to between 60% and 70%. In the year 2005, Abu Dhabi Investment Company purchased 51 percent of shares of Massar (Company) from Abu Dhabi Power Corporation, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority. On 27 May 2013, ADIA published its 2012 Review, with an overview of its activities during

1501-399: Is believed to date back around 7,000 years. Pearl divers dive for one to three minutes and would have dived as many as thirty times per day. Air tanks and any other sort of mechanical device were forbidden. The divers had a leather nose clip and leather coverings on their fingers and big toes to protect them while they searched for oysters. The divers were not paid for a day's work but received

1580-463: Is broken down into sub-funds covering a specific asset class. Each asset class has its own fund managers and in-house analysts covering it. Almost every asset class is managed both internally and externally. Overall between 70% and 80% of the organization's assets are managed outside, and over the last few years, the fund has become more indexed which given its unique asset liability structure is somewhat perplexing. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA)

1659-453: Is extensive, and both GSM and CDMA (from Etisalat and Du) services are available. Etisalat , the government-owned telecommunications provider, held a virtual monopoly over telecommunication services in Abu Dhabi prior to the establishment of other, smaller telecommunications companies such as Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC – better known as Du ) in 2006. The Internet was introduced into Abu Dhabi in 1995. The current network

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1738-587: Is far too dry to be classed as tropical. For its geography, Abu Dhabi has been twinned with: Abu Dhabi City is the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi , and the local government of Abu Dhabi is directly led by the Ruler of Abu Dhabi . Abu Dhabi is the largest and wealthiest of the seven emirates, and it plays a crucial role in the UAE's governance and economy. The Ruler has the executive authority to issue local laws, create or merge government departments, and appoint heads of departments. The Ruler of Abu Dhabi appoints

1817-525: Is from November to March, which ranges between moderately hot to mild. This period also sees dense fog on some days and a few days of rain. On average, January is the coolest month of the year, while August is the hottest. Since the Tropic of Cancer passes through the emirate, the southern part falls within the Tropics . However, despite the coolest month having an 18.8 °C (65.8 °F) average, its climate

1896-521: Is home to the UAE's President , a member of the Al Nahyan family . Abu Dhabi's rapid development and urbanisation , coupled with the massive oil and gas reserves and production and relatively high average income, have transformed it into a large, developed metropolis. It is the country's centre of politics and industry , and a major culture and commerce center. Abu Dhabi accounts for about two-thirds of

1975-460: Is large enough to safely contain a maximum of approximately 41,000 people. The overall structure is 22,412 square metres (241,240 square feet ). The internal prayer halls were initially opened in December 2007. As one of the most visited buildings in the UAE, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center was established to manage the day-to-day operations, as a place of worship and Friday gathering and as

2054-478: Is looking to expand its maximum production capacity from approximately 4 million BPD to 5 million BPD by 2030. In recent years, the focus has turned to gas as increasing domestic consumption for power, desalination and reinjection of gas into oil fields increases demand. Gas extraction is not without its difficulties, however, as demonstrated by the sour gas project at Shah where the gas is rich in hydrogen sulfide content and expensive to develop and process. In 2009,

2133-718: Is looking to expand revenue from oil and gas production to tourism and other things that would attract different types of people. This goal is seen in the amount of attention Abu Dhabi is giving its International Airport. The airport experienced a 30%+ growth in passenger usage in 2009. This idea of diversifying the economy is also seen in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 planned by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. In this plan, Abu Dhabi's economy will be sustainable and not dependent on any single source of revenue. More specifically

2212-590: Is on an island less than 250 metres (820 ft) from the mainland and is joined to the mainland by the Maqta and Mussafah Bridges. A third, Sheikh Zayed Bridge , designed by Zaha Hadid , opened in late 2010. Abu Dhabi Island is also connected to Saadiyat Island by a five-lane motorway bridge. Al-Mafraq bridge connects the city to Reem Island and was completed in early 2011. This is a multi-layer interchange bridge and it has 27 lanes which allow roughly 25,000 automobiles to move per hour. There are three major bridges in

2291-408: Is supported by a bandwidth of 6 GB , with 50,000 dialup and 150,000 broadband ports . Etisalat announced implementing a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network in Abu Dhabi during the third quarter of 2009 to make the emirate the world's first city to have such a network. Abu Dhabi in the 1960s and 70s was planned for a predicted topmost population of 600,000. Following the urban planning ideals of

2370-624: The Abu Dhabi Executive Council to lead the day-to-day management of government affairs. The Department of Municipal Affairs is responsible for municipal affairs for the entire emirate. Abu Dhabi is part of the Central Capital District , which is separate from the eastern and western municipal regions of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The main settlement of the eastern region, officially "Al Ain Region" since

2449-467: The Abu Dhabi Plan 2030 , which will lead to the construction of many new skyscrapers over the next decade, particularly in the expansion of Abu Dhabi's central business district such as the new developments on Al Maryah Island and Al Reem Island . Abu Dhabi already has a number of supertall skyscrapers under construction throughout the city. Some of the tallest buildings on the skyline include

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2528-726: The National Bank of Abu Dhabi headquarters, the Baynunah ( Hilton Hotel ) Tower. and the Etisalat headquarters are usually found in the financial districts of Abu Dhabi. Other notable modern buildings include the Aldar Headquarters , the first circular skyscraper in the middle east and the Emirates Palace with its design inspired by Arab heritage. The development of tall buildings has been encouraged in

2607-610: The Santiago Principles ). These principles were created to demonstrate to home and recipient countries and the international financial markets that sovereign wealth funds had robust internal frameworks and governance practices and that their investments were made only on an economic and financial basis. Today ADIA invests in all the international markets — equities, fixed income and treasury, infrastructure, real estate, private equity, and alternatives (hedge funds and commodity trading advisers — CTAs). ADIA's global portfolio

2686-455: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) . This union was marked by the establishment of a federal government and the appointment of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as the first President of the UAE. "Abu" is Arabic for father, and "Dhabi" is the Arabic word for gazelle . Abu Dhabi means "Father of Gazelle." It is thought that this name came about because of the abundance of gazelles in the area and

2765-496: The United Kingdom , New Zealand , Greece , and the United Arab Emirates . More than 3,000 workers and 38 contracting companies took part in the construction of the mosque . Consideration of durability motivated the choice of many materials specified in the design of the structure. These materials include marble, stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals, and ceramics. Construction began on 5 November 1996. The building

2844-693: The "Council of Ministers" as the "Abu Dhabi Executive Council". The Executive Council is chaired since 2004 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan , currently president of the United Arab Emirates, ruler of Abu Dhabi and supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Its membership is formed by chairmen of the local government departments, some local authorities and other members appointed by the Ruler. On Wednesday 13 September 2017

2923-573: The 382 m (1,253.28 ft) Central Market Residential Tower , the 324 m (1,062.99 ft) The Landmark and the 74-story, 310 m (1,017.06 ft) Sky Tower , all of them completed. Also, many other skyscrapers over 150 m (492.13 ft) (500 ft) are either proposed or approved and could transform the city's skyline. As of July 2008 , there were 62 high-rise buildings 23 to 150 m (75.46 to 492.13  ft ) under construction, approved for construction, or proposed for construction. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque represents

3002-599: The ADEC primarily includes the heads of local governmental departments. As of March 2023, the ADEC is chaired by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan . In 1971, a council of ministers was formed in the Abu Dhabi emirate by virtue of the provisions of Law No. (1) to reorganise the government apparatus. But in 1974, the said law was superseded and substituted with Law No. (1), which organised Abu Dhabi's government apparatus, renaming

3081-542: The Abu Dhabi Municipality. The daily domestic wastewater production is 330 MiGD and industrial waste water is 40 MiGD. A large portion of the sewerage flows as waste into streams, and separation plants. The city's per capita electricity consumption is about 41,000 kWh and the total supplied is 8,367 MW as of 2007 . The distribution of electricity is carried out by companies run by SCIPCO Power and APC Energy. As part of UAE's Energy Strategy 2050 to reduce

3160-551: The Arab States of the Persian Gulf , Britain became the predominant influence in the area. The main purpose of British interest was to protect the trade route to India from pirates, hence, the earlier name for the area, the " Pirate Coast ". After the suppression of piracy, other considerations came into play, such as a strategic need of the British to exclude other powers from the region. Following their withdrawal from India in

3239-726: The Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and taking 29% of all the GCC future plannings. The UAE has a fast-growing economy: in 2006 the per capita income grew by 9%, providing a GDP per capita of $ 49,700 and ranking third in the world at purchasing power parity . Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund , the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), currently estimated at $ 875 billion, is the world's wealthiest sovereign fund in terms of total asset value. Etihad Airways maintains its headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi's government

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3318-518: The Arabian Travel Market 2021 exhibition. This was part of the center's core strategy to be active in the religious and cultural aspects of society. The Founder's Memorial , a monument and visitor center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a memorial to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan , the first President of the United Arab Emirates , who died in 2004. The memorial consists of an open Heritage Garden and Sanctuary Garden at

3397-445: The Corniche, all horizontal streets are oddly numbered, while all vertical streets are evenly numbered. Thus, the Corniche is Street No. 1, Khalifa Street is Street No. 3, Hamdan Street is Street No. 5, Electra Street is Street No. 7 and so on. Conversely, Salam Street is St No. 8. Mail is generally delivered to post-office boxes only; however, there is door-to-door delivery for commercial organisations. There are many parks throughout

3476-509: The Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The ADEC is led by a chairman of the council, who is often the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, and has the authority to decide on priorities, government strategy, and financial budgeting often in line with recommendations and directions from the ruler of Abu Dhabi. Concerning Abu Dhabi Executive Office (Law 18 of 2019) established the Abu Dhabi Executive Office (ADEO) as an independent entity, replacing

3555-586: The Financial Investments Board which operated within its Department of Finance and was responsible for managing the Emirate's excess oil revenues. However, in 1976, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan , the founding president of the United Arab Emirates , converted it into the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. The goal was to invest the Abu Dhabi government's surpluses across various asset classes, with low risk. At

3634-622: The Secretariat of the ADEC with a task of supporting the ADEC in administrative duties, legal opinions, researching proposals provided by governmental departments, contracting third-party consultants, and publishing the official gazette. The chairman of the Executive Office also assumes a seat at the ADEC. Since 2019, the ADEO has been led by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan , the son of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan . The ADEC

3713-531: The UAE in terms of Gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita income . More than $ 1 trillion is invested worldwide in the city. In 2010, the GDP per capita reached $ 49,600, which ranks ninth in the world. Taxation in Abu Dhabi , as in the rest of the UAE, is nil for a resident or a non-bank, non-oil company. Abu Dhabi is also planning many future projects sharing with the Cooperation Council for

3792-499: The Umm Al Nar storage is the largest water source for Abu Dhabi, followed by the rivers Shuweihat and Taweelah. With falling groundwater level and rising population density, Abu Dhabi faces a severely acute water shortage. On average each Abu Dhabi resident uses 550 litres (120 imp gal; 150 US gal) of water per day. Abu Dhabi daily produces 1,532 tonnes of solid wastes which are dumped at three landfill sites by

3871-405: The carbon emission of power generation by 70%, Noor Abu Dhabi solar park project which is the largest solar project in the world was completed on 2 July 2019. The Abu Dhabi Fire Service runs 13 fire stations that attend about 2,000 fire and rescue calls per year. State-owned Etisalat and private du communication companies provide telephone and cell phone service to the city. Cellular coverage

3950-499: The center of which is a cubic pavilion housing The Constellation, an artwork dedicated to Zayed's memory. The UAE Presidential Palace , Qaṣr Al-Waṭan ("Palace of the Nation"), opened to the public in March 2019. It was built on the grounds of Ladies beach and construction was finished in 2018.Al Barza is a perfect complement to the fascinate cultural experience which expects visitors at Qasr Al Watan. Historically, ‘barza’ refers to

4029-484: The central-western coast of the UAE. Abu Dhabi is located on an island in the Persian Gulf , off the Central West Coast. Most of the city and the Emirate reside on the mainland connected to the rest of the country. As of 2023 , Abu Dhabi's urban area had an estimated population of 2.5 million, out of 3.8 million in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is headquartered in

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4108-569: The city, and was the world's 3rd largest sovereign wealth fund in 2022. Abu Dhabi itself has over a trillion US dollars worth of assets under management in a combination of various sovereign wealth funds headquartered there. Abu Dhabi houses local and federal government offices and is the home of the United Arab Emirates Government and the Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs . The city

4187-491: The city. Entrance is usually free for children, however, there is often an entrance fee for adults. The Corniche, the city's seaside promenade, is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) in length, with gardens, playgrounds, and a BMX/skateboard ring. In 2007 the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) was established, which is the agency responsible for the future of Abu Dhabi's urban environments and

4266-450: The council as new heads of government departments and responsibilities. In May 2023, the newly restructured ADEC led by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan announced the largest housing budget allocation of $ 23bn for the construction of 76,000 public homes within the emirate. The ADEC is the main governing organ of the Abu Dhabi government, and is responsible for overseeing all local government departments, agencies, and organisations in

4345-510: The council was reshuffled and new members were appointed, including: Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Falah Al Ahbabi and Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak. On Monday 21 January 2019 the then president of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa, approved a reorganisation which changed the members of the council: As part of this reorganization Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed also set up a body affiliated with

4424-554: The council, the Abu Dhabi Strategic Affairs Committee, chaired by Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan , and restructured the council's executive committee. In March 2023, the ADEC was further restructured with former chairman (and current ruler of Abu Dhabi) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan appointing Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed as the chairman of the council and adding new members to

4503-699: The emirate such as the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council and the Regulation and Supervision Bureau , which are responsible for infrastructure projects in the city. Because Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE, it also serves as the headquarters of the Federal government of the United Arab Emirates , the office of the President of the United Arab Emirates , and seat of the Federal Supreme Council . The Abu Dhabi Government Media Office (ADGMO)

4582-530: The expert authority behind the visionary Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 Urban Structure Framework Plan that was published in September 2007. The UPC is also working on similar plans for the regions of Al-Ain and Al-Gharbia. Because of the rapid development of Abu Dhabi, a number of challenges to the city's urban organisation have developed, among them: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority ( Arabic : جهاز أبوظبي للاستثمار , ADIA )

4661-407: The government diversified its economic plans. Served by high oil prices, the country's non-oil and gas GDP outstripped that attributable to the energy sector. Non-oil and gas GDP now constitutes 64% of the UAE's total GDP. This trend is reflected in Abu Dhabi with substantial new investment in industry, real estate , tourism and retail. As Abu Dhabi is the largest oil producer of the UAE, it has reaped

4740-412: The highest GDP per capita in the world and Abu Dhabi owns the majority of these resources—95% of the oil and 92% of gas . Abu Dhabi thus holds 9% of the world's proven oil reserves (98.2bn barrels) and almost 5% of the world's natural gas (5.8  billion cubic metres or 200 billion cubic feet ). As of April 2022 oil production in the UAE was about 3.0 million barrels per day (BPD). The UAE

4819-403: The most benefits from this trend. It has taken on an active diversification and liberalization program to reduce the UAE's reliance on the hydrocarbon sector. This is evident in the emphasis on industrial diversification with the completion of free zones, Industrial City of Abu Dhabi, twofour54 Abu Dhabi media free zone and the construction of another, ICAD II, in the pipeline. There has also been

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4898-440: The non-oil portion of income is planned to be increased from about 40% to about 70%. As of July 2019, Abu Dhabi allocated $ 163 million to finance global entertainment partners as part of its plan to diversify the economy and wean it off oil. Many Hollywood and other national film production teams have used parts of the UAE as filming locations. Neighboring Dubai gets a lot of attention, but in recent years Abu Dhabi has become

4977-483: The oil fields mentioned, the main producing fields onshore are Asab, Sahil and Shah, and offshore are al-Bunduq, and Abu al-Bukhoosh. In 1966 Dubai made its first oil discovery with the offshore Fateh oil field and the revenue from oil played a crucial role in the early development of the emirate. The city of Abu Dhabi is on the south eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula , adjoining the Persian Gulf . It

5056-447: The past year as well as an explanation of its approach to investing – strategy, governance, and risk management. Tawreed Investments is a subsidiary of ADIA that has investments in several Australian infrastructure projects including Queensland Motorways , TransGrid , and WestConnex The board members currently serve for a period of three years and can be renewed. They are appointed by Emiri decree. The current board dates back to

5135-410: The peak summer months of July and August. During this time, sandstorms occur intermittently, in some cases reducing visibility to a few meters. Due to high humidity, especially in coastal areas, the heat index (or “feels-like” temperature) can be significantly higher than the actual air temperature. Dust storms are common during the hot, dry months, affecting air quality and visibility. The cooler season

5214-578: The priorities of citizens, residents and investors. The desalinated water supply and power production are managed by the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA). As of 2006 , it supplied 560.2 MiGD (million imperial gallons per day) of water, while the water demand for 2005–06 was estimated to be 511 MiGD. The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD) states that groundwater is the most significant source of water, as well as desalinated potable water, and treated sewage effluent. At 40.6 MiGD,

5293-425: The project, the largest has eight lanes, four leaving Abu Dhabi city and four coming in. Most of Abu Dhabi city is located on the island itself, but it has many suburban districts on the mainland, for example, Khalifa City A, B, and C; Khalifa City Al Raha Beach; Al Bahia City A, B, and C; Al Shahama; Al Rahba; Between Two Bridges; Baniyas; Shamkha; Al Wathba and Mussafah Residential. Gulf waters of Abu Dhabi holds

5372-503: The roughly $ 503 billion UAE economy. The area surrounding Abu Dhabi abounds in archaeological evidence from historical civilisations, such as the Umm Al Nar Culture , which dates back to the third millennium BC. Other settlements were also found farther outside the modern city of Abu Dhabi, including the eastern and western regions of the Emirate. On December 2, 1971, Abu Dhabi, along with six other emirates, formed

5451-494: The ruler, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan , to explore for oil. This was followed by a seventy-five-year concession signed in January 1939. However, owing to the desert terrain, inland exploration was fraught with difficulties. In 1953, D'Arcy Exploration Company, the exploration arm of BP , obtained an offshore concession which was then transferred to a company created to operate the concession: Abu Dhabi Marine Areas (ADMA)

5530-497: The time it was novel for a government to invest its reserves in anything other than gold or short-term credit. Even today, investment in short-term paper remains the strategy for the vast majority of countries. In the Bank of Credit and Commerce International scandal of the 1990s, ADIA reportedly lost hundreds of millions of dollars. The operations of ADIA have historically and to the present been secretive and opaque. The fund

5609-437: The time period, the city has high-density tower blocks and wide grid-pattern roads. The population density is at its apex on the most northerly part of the island. At this point, the main streets have a large amount of 20- to 30-story towers. These towers are in a rectangular pattern, and inside is an ordinary grid pattern of roads with low rise buildings such as 2-story villas or 6-story low-rise buildings. Due to this planning,

5688-498: The visitors will notice the art Talli a traditional form of decorative embroidery done by women and the making of Al Sadu patterns which represent symbols of daily life. A three-screen mini-theatre is available which describes the traditional form of weaving practised by Bedouin women. Abu Dhabi has several parks and gardens and more than 400 kilometres (249 miles) of coastline, of which 10 kilometres (6 miles) are public beaches . The UAE's large hydrocarbon wealth gives it one of

5767-595: The world's largest population of Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins . To the east of the island is the Mangrove National Park , located on Al Qurm Corniche. Al-Qurm ( ٱلْقُرْم ) is Arabic for "The Mangrove ". Abu Dhabi has a hot desert climate ( Köppen climate classification BWh ). Sunny blue skies can be expected throughout the year. The months of June through September are generally extremely hot and humid with maximum temperatures averaging above 40 °C (104 °F), mainly occurring during

5846-475: The year 1947, the British maintained their influence in Abu Dhabi as interest in the oil potential of the Persian Gulf grew. In the mid to late 1930s, as the pearl trade declined, interest grew in the oil possibilities of the region. On 5 January 1936, Petroleum Development Trucial Coast Ltd (PDTC) , an associate company of the Iraq Petroleum Company , entered into a concession agreement with

5925-664: Was a joint venture between BP and Compagnie Française des Pétroles (later Total ). In 1958, using a marine drilling platform, the ADMA Enterprise, oil was discovered in the Umm Shaif field at a depth of about 2,669 metres (8,755 ft). This was followed in 1959 by PDTC's onshore discovery well at Murban No.3. ADMA discovered the Bu Hasa oil field in 1962 and the Lower Zakum oil field in 1963. Today, in addition to

6004-444: Was formed in 2019 and is responsible for representing the government in the media, organizing press conferences for the emirate and monitoring local and international media. It is a state-sponsored organization that communicates the latest developments in the capital, and the emirate's vision, values and traditions. The city was planned under the guidance of Sheikh Zayed by Japanese architect Katsuhiko Takahashi in 1967 initially for

6083-489: Was restructured in March 2023, and its current members include: Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates . The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District , the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi , and the UAE's second-most populous city , after Dubai . The city is situated on a T-shaped island, extending into the Gulf from

6162-490: Was taken under the slogan "A Call for Harmony", to allow people from all religions and cultures to practice their faith in the country. Qasr Al Hosn is the oldest building in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, built by the Bani Yas tribe in 1761. It was once the seat of the government and the palace of the ruling Al Nahyan family. Today, it is a museum open to all visitors portraying the history of Abu Dhabi and early lifestyles. Where

6241-461: Was the Nahyan family , which is now the ruling family of Abu Dhabi. Who plays a significant role in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has a notable history that achieved several centuries. Over the 19th and early 20th centuries Al Nahyan family became the ruling family of Abu Dhabi and played a central role in the governance and development of the emirate. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has played

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