Abu Dhabi - capital of the UAE

Abu Dhabi, which literally means ‘Father of Gazelle’, is the largest of all seven emirates that constitute the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is also the capital city of the country. It is located at 24.4667° N & 54.3667°E on the T-shaped island projecting into the Persian Gulf from the central western coast. Abu Dhabi enjoys a strategic position in the oil-rich belt of the Persian Gulf. The city shares its borders with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman and Dubai.

The island is connected to mainland by the Maqta and Musaffah bridges. Abu Dhabi extends over an area of 67,340 sq km that comprises almost 86.7% of the total land area of the UAE excluding the islands. The coastline of Abu Dhabi stretches to more than 400 km and is divided into three major regions for purpose of administration. His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan is the ruler of Abu Dhabi as well as the President of the UAE.

Presently, Abu Dhabi is divided into three major regions for purpose of administration. The first region encompasses the city of Abu Dhabi, which are both the capital of the emirate and the federal capital of the UAE. The parliamentary buildings, most of the federal ministries and institutions, foreign embassies, state-broadcasting facilities and most of the oil companies are also located in Abu Dhabi. It is also the home of the famous Zayed University and the Higher Colleges of Technology.Major infrastructure facilities include Mina (Port) Zayed and Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The major attraction of Abu Dhabi is the wonderfully designed Abu Dhabi Corniche, which offers many kilometers of walking, cycling, jogging and roller-blading along the seashore of Abu Dhabi Island. Architecturally, the city is a symmetrical blend of the older buildings and modern skyscrapers.

The Eastern Region with Al Ain as its capital is the second region of Abu Dhabi. It is the most fertile area in the whole of the UAE.  The region is rich in greenery with plenty of farms and public parks. It is also blessed by substantial groundwater resources, which feed into numerous artesian wells. Al Ain is lined with several important archaeological sites. The places to visit in the Eastern Region are the Ain Al Faydah Park, Jebel Hafit, Al Hili Leisure Park, Al Ain Zoo and Al Ain Museum. It is also a cultural and educational center and home to the UAE's first university, the UAE University. It has superb network of roads supported by public transport. Al Ain also has the Al Ain International Airport.

The Western Region with Bida Zayed or Zayed City as its capital is the third administrative sector of Abu Dhabi. It comprises of 52 villages. The region has extensive forest cover extending over 100,000 hectares of land that has more than 20 million evergreens. It is also the main center of the onshore oil fields of the UAE and features Al Ruwais, the largest oil refinery of the country.

Along with the three mainland regions of Abu Dhabi, there are a number of important islands within the emirate. The prime islands among these are the Das, Mubarraz, Zirku and Arzanah located near the main offshore oil fields. The major inshore islands include Dalma, Sir Bani Yas, Merawah, Abu al-Abyadh and Saadiyat.