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Abu Dhabi is one of the richest cities in the world (Forbes magazine, 2007), the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the largest of 7 Emirates which make up the country. The city is a mixture of the old and new with the government currently embarking upon a period of substantial growth laid out in its Urban Plan; to be completed by 2030. The main city of Abu Dhabi is on a T-shaped island with a beautiful coastline, greenery and landscaped streets and parks. It has internationally branded luxury hotels, shopping malls, entertainment and leisure facilities and many landmarks such as the architecturally stunning Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. As part of the city’s growth there will be new branches of the Guggenheim Museum and the Louvre, several island developments, the most advanced motorsports track in the world operated by Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management, extensions to the airport and the Warner Brothers theme park among many others. The city is host to many sporting events and music concerts including the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, the Capitala World Tennis Championship, the Club Football World Cup 2009 and the 2009 Formula 1 race season finale; and Elton John, Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, George Michael and Shakira have all performed in the city in the last year with Coldplay appearing in March 2009. Abu Dhabi is also actively involved in sports sponsorship with companies sponsoring the Ferrari Formula 1 team and Chelsea Football Club; and the Emirate has also recently hit the headlines through the purchase of Manchester City Football Club. Travel around the city is fairly easy with a huge fleet of inexpensive taxis available for hire and the newly launched public bus service which covers most of the major routes in the city. Car hire is also easy and most hotels provide shuttle services. Abu Dhabi’s low crime rate and liberal stance makes it one of the safest places in the world to visit. Abu Dhabi Facts
Source: Private Sector Indicators and Outlook 2008. The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry: www.adcci.ae More information: |
