Abu Dhabi is the federal capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the home of government.
It is the largest emirate in the UAE, occupying 67,340 square kilometres. It consists of more than 200 natural islands and three regions: Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain in the east and Al Dhafra in the west.
Abu Dhabi city is the commercial and cultural centre of the emirate. Located on the coast of the Arabian Gulf, it consists of several islands, including Yas Island, home to many leading entertainment attractions, and Saadiyat Island, which is where Louvre Abu Dhabi is located.
In Al Ain there are several sites of cultural importance – including UNESCO world heritage sites – and also Jebel Hafeet, which is Abu Dhabi’s highest peak at 1,240 metres above sea level. Al Dhafra is an important centre of agriculture, and hosts the famous annual Date Festival. There are also a number of oil and gas fields in the region. Abu Dhabi lies between the latitude 22.40◦ and 25◦ in the north, and longitude 51◦ and 56◦ in the east. It borders the Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It has a population of 2.9 million people. The people of Abu Dhabi are renowned for the hospitality and the pride they feel for their heritage and tribal history, which stretches back over two millennia to the Stone Age, when human settlers are believed to have first arrived.
The Bani Yas tribe, from which the ruling Al Nahyan family is directly descended, first settled around the Liwa Oasis in 1761. Until the discovery of oil in 1958, Abu Dhabi’s main export was pearls. Modern Abu Dhabi is a global business and tourism destination of choice and attracts significant foreign direct investment. The emirate is home to more than 200 nationalities, who together form an inclusive, welcoming and diverse community.
Thanks to government, citizens and residents of Abu Dhabi enjoy world-class standards of health, education, housing and food security. The emirate is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of oil and gas. Daily production capacity is 3.5 million barrels of oil and 10.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Abu Dhabi is also an alternative and renewable energy pioneer. For example, the world’s largest solar energy field, Noor Abu Dhabi, is located in the emirate, as is leading renewables incubator Masdar City.
In recent decades, Abu Dhabi has harnessed wealth generated by oil and gas to advance the economic and social development of its people.
Today, the government seeks to diversify the economy. To do so, it pursues policies that enhance the role of the private sector to create opportunity, stimulate innovation and unleash the potential of the individual.