History of Abu Dhabi, UAE

Abu Dhabi, the largest of the seven emirates, is also the capital city of the UAE. The history of Abu Dhabi dates back to the 3rd Millennium BC as evidences of life prevailing during that time have been available. Umm an-Nar, a culture named after the island where it was discovered, came up near the present Abu Dhabi.

The influences of this culture extended into the interiors and up to the present coast of Oman. The culture was more like a nomadic herding and fishing village. During the 16th and early 17th centuries, Portugal made the territories of the UAE as a base to fight a rear guard action against Persia. From that time till the mid-18th century, Oman played an integral role in the history of the maritime states.

In the mid-18th century, the rise of British naval power in the Gulf coincided with the rise of two important tribal confederations along the coast of the lower Gulf. These were the Qawasim, whose descendants now rule Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah, and the Bani Yas, whose descendants are now the ruling families of modern Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The modern city of Abu Dhabi originated in the late 18th century from the Bani Yas tribal confederation. The Bani Yas tribe came to Abu Dhabi from the region of Liwa Oasis on the corner of the Empty Quarter Desert that in 1793. 

During the late 18th and 19th centuries, the division of the area between the Nahyan and the Qawasim, and whose clashes with British and Indian shipping led to British naval expeditions against what came to be known as the Pirate Coast. The treaties concluded in 1820 and 1835 established a formal relationship between the states of the southern Gulf and Britain that lasted till 1971. In 1853, the sheikhs agreed to a "perpetual maritime truce" to be enforced by the British navy. Under a treaty signed in 1892, the United Kingdom promised to protect the Trucial Coast from all aggression by sea and to lend its good offices in case of land attack.

In the 19th century, the tribe bifurcated into two major clans when Dubai and Abu Dhabi branched off to become two separate cities. Till the mid of the 20th century, the economy of Abu Dhabi was based mainly on camel herding, fishing and pearl diving. The production of dates and vegetables in the oases of Al Ain and Liwa also contributed to the economy. The houses in the city were constructed mainly of palm frond while the wealthier families lived in the mud huts. With the growth of the cultured pearl industry in the beginning of the 20th century, the sustenance became harsher for the people. Since pearls were the largest export and main source of cash earnings for Abu Dhabi, the fall in the pearl market lead to abject poverty in the region.

In 1939, Sheikh Shakhbut Bin-Sultan Al Nahyan granted petroleum concessions. In 1952, a local body known as the Trucial Council, comprising the rulers of the seven sheikhdoms was established. The object of this council was to encourage the adoption of the common policies in administrative matters, possibly leading to a federation of the states.

GOWEALTHY.COM © 2010
For comments: editor@gowealthy.com