Abu Dhabi

Government
Abu Dhabi is the capital and the second largest city in the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western coast. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the hereditary ruler of Abu Dhabi (UAE). He is a son of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the United Arab Emirates. His half-brother, General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and wields considerable influence as Chairman of Abu Dhabi's Executive Council and Deputy Supreme Commander of Abu Dhabi's armed forces.

Culture
Abu Dhabi has a diverse and multicultural society. The city's cultural imprint as a small, ethnically homogenous pearling community was changed with the arrival of other ethnic groups and nationals — first by the Iranians in the early 1900s, and later by Indians and Pakistanis in the 1960s. Abu Dhabi has been criticized for perpetuating a class-based society, where migrant workers are in the lower classes. Despite the diversity of the population, only minor and infrequent episodes of ethnic tensions, primarily between expatriates, have been reported in the city. Major holidays in Abu Dhabi include Eid al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, and National Day (2 December), which marks the formation of the United Arab Emirates.

Infrastructure
Public transport systems in Abu Dhabi include the Abu Dhabi public buses, taxis, ferries, and airplanes. White-and-mustard metered taxis traverse most of the city. Currently newer silver-colored taxis are coming in, while the old mustard-colored ones are being phased out. Abu Dhabi has about 8,000 7000-8000 old bronze/yellow/gold & white taxis, which will be phased out from 2008 to 2010.
Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) is the city's main aviation hub and the second busiest airport in the UAE, serving 9.02 million passengers in 2008, up 30.2% on 2007. Its terminal spaces are dominated by Etihad Airways which is the UAE's national carrier and the country's second largest airline. A new terminal opened in 2009 with total capacity reaching 12 million passengers per annum by 2011.

Currency
The monetary unit of the UAE is the Dirham (Dhs.), which is divided into 100 fils. The dirham is pegged to the US dollar at the rate of Dhs. 3.67 to $1.00.

Business Hours
Office hours vary but are generally from 8am to 6pm from Sunday to Thursday. Most government offices are open from 7:30am to 2:30pm from Saturday to Thursday and are closed on Friday. Banks are open from 8am to 1pm from Saturday to Thursday; some remain open later. Friday and Saturday is the weekend in the UAE for all office workers. Others, notably in the service sector, may be open during the weekend.

Airport
Located 32km from the heart of Abu Dhabi city, the airport is built over an area of 350,000 square metre. Three highways lead from the city centre to the airport: Khaleej Al Arabi (Highway 30), Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum Street (Highway 2), and Salam Street (Highway 8). All three highways merge into E10 on approach to the airport

Tax Free Shopping
Located within Abu Dhabi Airport, Abu Dhabi Duty Free offers cheapest prices, electronics, tobacco and alcohol.

Transport
Hiring a car is recommended for getting around in Dubai. International driving licenses are accepted by most car hire agencies. Metered taxis are abundant and relatively cheap.

Accommodation
The options range from large villas to five-star beach hotels to small serviced flats. Standards are uniformly high.

Amenities
Abu Dhabi has many well-equipped public and private hospitals offering high quality healthcare. At public hospitals, emergency treatment is free; a health card, available at reasonable cost, is needed for non-urgent health care. Schooling from pre-kindergarten to college is available in a variety of institutions, with private schools catering to most of the expatriate communities.

Statistics

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