IT’S the fashionable new stopover en route to Europe; buzzing with ultra-luxe hotels and resorts. It’s the venue for international food and wine festivals like Gourmet Abu Dhabi and top international sporting events like the Formula One Grand Prix.
Offshoots of The Louvre and the Guggenheim Museum are currently under construction, along with a new cultural precinct. Abu Dhabi is booming despite the global economic crisis.
It may have a lower profile than neighbouring Dubai, but it is the largest, and wealthiest, of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the federal capital. With Etihad now flying direct from major Australian capital cities, it is very much on the radar as a destination for travellers from Down Under looking for a different holiday experience.
Surveying the beachfront boardwalk and the high-rise buildings, it is hard to imagine that as recently as 50 years ago, there was not a single tarred road in Abu Dhabi and the 4,000 locals lived a Bedouin existence, herding camels, fishing and living on their catch, mutton rice and dates. Oil was discovered in 1958, however, and the once-sleepy backwater today has a population of over 1.1 million.
Today, Abu Dhabi is a fascinating dichotomy; a modern metropolis with traditional values, where mosques sit alongside department stores.
The new Grand Mosque is open to non Muslims and guided tours are available, while the Heritage Village on the waterfront recreates aspects of the traditional Bedouin lifestyle.
Where to stay: Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi.
For further information: http://www.blogger.com/www.visitabudhabi.com. Phone (02) 02 8268 5504 or email info@abudhabitourism.com.au
