History, Culture
and Society in Abu Dhabi
Victoria Kelly
History
The city of Abu Dhabi as it stands today is a far cry
from the harsh terrain that existed there before. The
days of camel herding and residing in huts, are long
gone and Abu Dhabi is now a thriving metropolis.
The history of Abu Dhabi can be traced back as far as
7,000 years ago due to some archaeological finds. It
was very common in this culture to pass down history
through word of mouth so very little was written
down, which makes it difficult to trace the exact
history.
The origins of Abu Dhabi stem back to the Bedouin
Bani Yas tribe. This was a nomadic tribe whose
main activity was camel herding. Fresh water was
discovered on the island of Abu Dhabi in 1761 so the
leader of the tribe moved his people to the region.
There is much debate surrounding where Abu Dhabi
got its name from. The most commonly held belief is
that it was named after a man who hunted deer in the
area, as Abu Dhabi translates into English as “father
of deer”. Soon after the Bedouin tribe settled in the
area, the ruling Al Nahyan family relocated there.
Pearl trading became the main industry in the town
and it prospered under the rule of Sheikh Zayed bin
Khalifa, also known as “Zayed the Great”. He was
the longest serving leader in the history of Abu Dhabi
reigning from 1855 until 1909. He led Abu Dhabi to
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