Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, as well as the Abu Dhabi emirate itself. The city is located on a scorpion-shaped island in the Arabian Gulf, southwest of Dubai.

Before the discovery of oil in the early 1960s, Abu Dhabi was a small village. Today this metropolis is a harmonious blend of the modern world and traditional Arabian culture, with its striking glassy skyline on the Corniche forming a backdrop for an oasis-like city full of mosques, shopping malls, cultural centers, and luxury hotels. Wide tree lined roads, large gardens, and green boulevards contrast with the surrounding desert, and many of the roundabouts feature clock towers, giant coffee cups, or other concrete replicas of traditional Arabic artifacts.