Introduction

Breath-taking Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE and a towering tribute to the spectacular growth and promise of the Gulf. This cosmopolitan city, with its bold urban architecture and lush gardens, is the seat of government for the Emirates.

First settled in 1761 by tribesmen who found sweet water there, the name Abu Dhabi literally means 'place of the gazelle'. Yet from humble beginnings, today's gleaming metropolis possesses an air and substance that one would expect from a much larger city.

Al Ain

Garden City, not just of the Emirates but certainly of the Arabian Peninsula. Al Ain - oasis, retreat, university town, granary - is the chief town of the Emirates' most fertile area and part of a large, historically critical oasis.

Development in Al Ain has been extensive, much of it set in motion when Sheikh Zayed, the president of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, governed the region. It's a charming city: building heights are restricted which is why it retains some of the atmosphere of a country town despite the gridiron layout of the streets.

Here is where the ruler's personal directive can be seen at work: making the desert green, and within the city, scores of fountains and acres of green parks emphasise just why Al Ain is the Garden City. Its history as an important Arabian oasis - known as Buraimi earlier and shared by Abu Dhabi and Oman - is evident all around. The Hili park to the north was developed as a setting for the UAE's leading archaeological monument, the Hili tomb. Carved in relief on the slabs of the tomb are scenes that provide an extraordinary window on life here 4,000 years ago. Forts too abound in Al Ain.

These once upon a time guarded the precious palm groves. Traditional mud-brick forts, like Jahili, have been carefully renovated, and several others are as impressive, like those at Murajib and Mazyad. Jebel Hafit is the dominant landmark in Al Ain, a rearing humpback of a mountain.

At its foot is the Ain abu Sukhna, a sweet water spring that has been extensively developed as a resort. Also in Jebel Hafit's shadow is the Al Ain zoo, the largest in the Middle East. Here vast paddocks are home to flourishing herds of Arabian oryx, an endangered species.

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Statistics

Ruled by: H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (the President of the UAE). How large is it? 67,000 sq km. How many live there? Just over a million. The most populous emirate with 40 per cent of the UAE's population. Best known for: Being the capital of the UAE, stunning architecture, parks.

What else can you find in Abu Dhabi? The lush oasis city of Al Ain, the big dunes of Liwa, fascinating coastline with plentiful marine life. Commercial hotspots: The vast oil-related industrial zones that maintains the UAE's status among the world's largest petroleum exporters, the Sadiyat free trade zone.

The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is comprised of three major regions :

1.The Abu Dhabi Region which include the city of Abu Dhabi, the capital of U.A.E. It is the headquarter for the president of the state, the cabinet, and most of the ministries, the Federal institutions, foreign embassies, Broadcast TV, Zayed Port, Abu Dhabi Airport and most of the oil companies, establishments and commercial markets. The Abu Dhabi Cornish, with its public parks and fountains, is a remarkable landscape of the city.

2.The Eastern Region, with its capital Al-Ain City. This region is very fertile, and rich in greenery, with plenty of farms and public parks. This region is also very rich in ground water, with very numerous artesian wells. The most attractive land marks in this region are Ain-Faydah parks, Haffeet Mountain, Hili Fun City, the Zoo, Al-Jahili Fort and Al-Ain Museum.

3.The Western Region, with its capital Beda-Zayed. It has a wide stretch of grown forests to combat the desert climate. The forest grown area is about 100,000 hectare, having about 20 million green trees. Certain On-shore oil fields are located in this region. The biggest oil refinery in the country is located in this region at Al-Ruwais City.

A number of islands are part of the Emirate, the most significant in this chain is Das Island, Mubraz Island , Zirku Island and Arzana Island, which constitute the main Off-shore oil fields. Other islands include Dalma, Al-Sadyaat and Abu El-Abyaadh.

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