a position of prominence throughout South-Eastern
Arabia. The signing of the “Exclusive Treaty” with
Britain in 1892 is perhaps what his reign is most
memorable for. This treaty gave London the right to
represent the Emirate in its international relations,
whilst at the same time, guaranteeing Abu Dhabi’s
sovereignty and internal autonomy. The seven
Emirates became known as the Trucial States.
After the death of Zayed the Great, Abu Dhabi’s
fortunes took a turn for the worse due to a global
recession at the time. However, it would not be long
until all that changed when oil was discovered in
1958. Offshore oil exports began in 1962 and onshore
exports in 1963. This set Abu Dhabi firmly on the
road to becoming one of the richest cities in the
world.
Sheikh Zayed
In 1966, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan became
ruler. His leadership was instrumental in forming
the United Arab Emirates. In 1971 Britain withdrew
from the region and as a result, the small Emirates
felt vulnerable and decided to join together to form
the UAE. The UAE includes - Abu Dhabi, Dubai,
Sharjah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and
Ras Al Khaimah. Sheikh Zayed became the UAE’s
first president and ruled for 33 years until his death
in 2004. He has become known as the nation’s
“founding father”. His vision laid the foundations for
what Abu Dhabi is today and will become tomorrow.
Culture and Society
Visitors are welcome in Abu Dhabi. This is readily
apparent upon arrival at the airport, with signs
greeting passengers declaring “Travellers Welcome”.
The population of Abu Dhabi has grown in recent
years, from 15,000 in 1962 to almost 1.8 million
today. One of Abu Dhabi’s key priorities is to
promote tourism. Their aim is to have three million
visitors by 2015. This means that the people of Abu
Dhabi are quite tolerant of tourists. Bordering the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the South and West
and the Sultanate of Oman to the East, it must be
remembered that Abu Dhabi remains a traditional
Arabian society so visitors should bear this in mind
when in public.
The city is a melting pot of different cultures.
Emiratis wear traditional dress. For women, that
means the black abaya (a long black robe) and sheyla
(a head scarf). For men, it means the dishdisha thobe
(a white full length shirt) and a keffiyeh head-scarf
(white or checked). Tourists are permitted to dress
normally but respectfully. Light-weight clothing is
ideal due to the heat and a jacket may be needed on
cool winter nights. Bikinis, swimsuits, and shorts
should be confined to beach resorts. Women are
usually advised not to wear short skirts and to keep
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