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Abu Dhabi : The Capital City Of The Arab Emirates

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Main Report Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, a country located on the southeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, straddling the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, which leads to the Arabian Sea (see Map 1 above). With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Abu Dhabi is the second most populous city in the country, after Dubai. The city is also the capital of the Abu Dhabi emirate, the largest of all emirates in the country, comprising over 80% of the country’s total land area. Abu Dhabi is situated on an island located just 250 meters from the mainland, and has a very distinguishable skyline consisting of modern skyscrapers.1, 2 The city is located in a desert area by the sea, so it possesses a hot and humid desert climate with summer temperatures averaging above 104 degrees but almost nonexistent rainfall.2 The city of Abu Dhabi was initially settled over 500 years ago, and it remained a relatively small settlement for local tribes until well into the 19th century. Under the rule of Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa, Abu Dhabi focused on the trading pearls, and was able to develop quickly as a result of its favorable location linking the western world and the eastern realm such as India.3 The city embarked on a road to prosperity in 1958, when large offshore and onshore petroleum reserves were discovered, and oil exportation ensued in 1962. With over half the economy supported by oil revenue, the city’s GDP reached $100 billion in 2006, representing a

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