Exploring Abu Dhabi: History and Modernity

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Abu Dhabi is the capital of the Abu Dhabi Emirate and the largets (about 68.000 km²) of the seven emirates (Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah and Abu Dhabi) that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Abu Dhabi Emirate represents more than 85% of the whole area of the UAE, and its capital, Abu Dhabi has a population of approximately 1.500.000 inhabitants, second only to Dubai (more than 2.100.000 inhabitants) the capital of Dubai Emirate. The city of Abu Dhabi is also the venue for the President of the UAE, the federal cabinet and the Royal Family.

Brief History
As several specialized sources report, Abu Dhabi was founded on the second half of the 18th century, specifically in 1761. According to several studies, some areas of Abu Dhabi were alredy inhabited in the 3rd century B.C. by a nomadic population that basically lived from fishing and animal husbandry. However, in 1761 a source of fresh water was found and a fortress (Qasr al-Hosn) surrounding it was raised by the people of Bani Yas, an important tribal confederation at that time. This way, the inhabitants formed a small village around this source of water and survived for almost two centuries on pearling and fishing. …show more content…

This city alone generates more than 15% of the UAE’s GDP. Moreover, Abu Dhabi serves as a venue for several significant financial institutions such as the UAE’s Central Bank and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, among other multinational and national companies. During the last decades Abu Dhabi has diversified its economy by heavily investing in tourism, financial services, among other areas. Particularly in the case of tourism, Abu Dhabi is already known as one of the most important touristic centers all over the world. Next, we are offering you some information about Abu Dhabi tourist

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