Economy

The currency is United Arab Emirates dirham, officially abbreviated “AED” and it’s subdivided
into 100 fils. The United Arab Emirates dirham was introduced on 19 May 1973. It replaced
the Qatar and Dubai riyal at par.

Abu Dhabi is the fifth largest exporter of oil in the world. Petroleum and natural gas play a vital
role in keeping Abu Dhabi’s GDP per capita income in the third place in the world, just after
Luxembourg and Norway. In 2016, the value of oil, gas and oil products exports were AED
139.0 billion and the contribution of the oil sector was 49.2%.

Although it’s main resource is the oil, it’s not the only economical contributor. There are also
other sectors such as the industrial development, tourism development, foreign investment and
trade, but the most valuable sector is investment sector. The world’s wealthiest sovereign fund is
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), currently estimated at $875 billion.

To boost the tourism industry, fancy hotels and entertainment facilities have been constructed all
over Abu Dhabi. Most of them are built near the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company.
ADNEC owns and operates the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, which is the largest
exhibition venue in the Middle East. The latest touristic place is located on the attractive
Saadiyat Island, and it is sponsored by Louvre Museum in Paris. This extraordinary oil exporting
island has been transformed into a luxury resort with art centers and shopping malls.

One of the most important Abu Dhabi’s tourism related business sectors is the rapidly growing
Business Tourism. State-of-the art infrastructure, a strong financial system, a peaceful, friendly
and politically stable society are just some of the advantages that attract more and more
businesses in Abu Dhabi.
There are twelve categories of Business Tourism strategic sectors that have been identified by
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority - ADTA for new business events, and they include the following:
 Energy
 Petrochemicals
 Metals
 Aviation /Aerospace/ Defence
 Pharmaceuticals/Biotech/Life sciences
 Tourism
 Healthcare
 Education
 Transport/Trade/Logistics
 Media
 Financial services
 Telecommunications

Also, thanks to successful hosting of Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Abu
Dhabi has boosted the Emirate as an ideal destination for Sports Tourism.
Transportation
Transportation is a very important aspect in every major city, and it’s not only the public
transportation that matters. There is also the transportation of goods, import and export,
freight transportation etc. Modes of transportation in Abu Dhabi include air, water, land and rail.
Here are some of the mostly used public transportation ways.

 Taxi

The most popular mode of public transportation in the Abu Dhabi is the taxi, and as the most
important mode of transportation they are available all over the city. Most shopping malls have
dedicated taxi stands. There are two different types of taxis in Abu Dhabi:

- The silver taxis which are operated by authorized taxi companies. The rates are
established by a meter.

- The pink taxis are exclusively for female passengers and boys under the age of 10. They
are driven by women and have the same fares as the silver taxis.

 Bus

The Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi has deployed a public transportation service in Abu
Dhabi with brand-new, world-class and great accessibility buses operating in Abu Dhabi City
and several other counties and in the suburbs. All buses serving the domestic routes within Abu
Dhabi City are operated around the clock every day. Like in taxi services, there is separation for
female and male passengers. The seats for female passengers are provided immediately behind
the driver, and the section for men is at the back.

 Train and metro

The city of Abu Dhabi currently does not have a metro, but the construction is in progress and it
is predicted to be finished by 2020. The length of the railing system is about 131 km long, and it
is supposed to be composed of 4 lines. The metro will mainly connect the proposed Central
Business District with Sowwah Island, Reem Island, Saadiyat Island, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
International Airport and Masdar, Capital City District, Emerald Gateway, Zayed Sports City
and ADNEC.
  Abras and Ferries

The Abu Dhabi ferry service doesn’t only offer services to pedestrians, but also to cars. There’s
only one route, from Marsa Jabel Al Dhanna to Delma Island, and back. The ferry service
operates three times a day, except on Fridays - then it’s only twice.

 Airplane

When travelling to United Arab Emirates, it is most likely to arrive by plane. There are five
airport in Abu Dhabi - Abu Dhabi International Airport, Al Ain International Airport, Al Bateen
Executive Airport, Delma Island Airport & Sir Bani Yas Island Airport.

The city’s biggest airport, Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) is the UAE’s second-largest
airport, with the average of 20 million passengers in per year. AUH has been named the best
airport in the middle east for the second year in a row in 2017.

The airport is a base for around 40 airlines flying to 90 cities in over 50 countries and the largest
airline in the UAE is Etihad Airlines. There are buses that go to the city center and back to the
airport. There’s a bus every 40 minutes, and the buses operate 24 hours a day.
Religion
Islam is both the official and majority religion in the United Arab Emirates and it is widely
practiced. The Islamic holy day is Friday and there are five pillars of Islam, which all Muslims
must follow: the Profession of Faith, Prayer, Charity, Fasting, and the Pilgrimage to Makkah.
Additionally, a Muslim is required to pray (facing Makkah) five times a day. The times vary
according to the position of the sun, when the modern day call to prayer is transmitted through
loudspeakers on mosque minarets.

Abu Dhabi is tolerant of other religions with people being free to practice their religious beliefs,
so long as they do not interfere with Islam. Non-Muslims can get an insight into Islam through
complimentary guided tours of the spectacular Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque - one of the world's
largest.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has a capacity for an astonishing 40,000 worshippers. It features
82 domes, over a 1,000 columns, 24 carat gold gilded chandeliers and the world's largest hand
knotted carpet.
The main prayer hall is dominated by one of the world’s largest chandeliers – 10 metres in
diameter, 15 metres in height and weighing twelve tonnes.

The mosque's first ceremony was the funeral of its namesake, Sheikh Zayed, who is buried at the
site.Reflective pools surround the mosque, amplifying its beauty. The striking white and gold
colours shining in the sun are transformed at night by a unique lightning system which reflects
the phases of the moon.
Before entering any mosque you must fulfill required dress code, regardless if you are a man, or
a woman. If you are a tourist, you will be given an Abaya, which covers you from head to toe
and when your tour is done, you need to hand it back to the exit door.
Sports
The most popular sport in UAE, and in Abu Dhabi is football. The United Arab Emirates
Football Association was first established in 1971 and since then has dedicated its time and effort
to promoting the game and organizing youth programs. There are 3 football stadiums in Abu
Dhabi. The biggest one is Zayed Sports City Stadium, an iconic multi-purpose stadium located in
Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is the largest stadium in the UAE with
more than 43,000 seats. Abu Dhabi United Group has recently purchased Manchester City
Football Club.

Zayed Sports City Stadium

The second most popular sport in Abu Dhabi is cricket. There are many cricket stadiums in the
city, but the biggest is Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.
 Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium

Some of the other sports represented in Abu Dhabi are tennis, table tennis, cycling, golf,
badminton, basketball, ice hockey, motorsport, rugby, weightlifting etc.

Apart from these modern sports, the Abu Dhabi population also prefers their traditional sports,
such as camel racing, falconry and endurance riding.

Camel racing is a spectacular sport and like horse racing, it is an event for betting and tourist
attraction. Camels can run at speeds up to 65 km/h in short sprints and they can maintain a speed
of 40 km/h for an hour. Camels are often controlled by child jockeys, but allegations of human
rights abuses have led to nationwide bans on underage labor in the UAE and Qatar. In modern
camel racing, camels are often controlled by remote controlled robotic whips.
Falconry is a traditional Emirati sport practiced for more than 2,000 years with skills being
passed down through generations. Falconry requires patience and co-operation between the
falconer and his bird. By treating his bird gently and with empathy, the falconer gains its trust
and obedience. Emirati falconers developed special breeding and rearing methods.