Abu Dhabi is the capital and second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest in terms of land area. It lies on a T-shaped island jutting out into the Persian Gulf from the central western coast. Abu Dhabi as the federal capital of the UAE it is the main centre of the oil industry. The Emirate occupies some 85% of the UAE’s 48,440 square miles, mostly of rolling sand dunes and except for a strip of wide salt flats along the coastline, has spectacular desert scenery.
It is yet another tribute to the incredible transformation that the discovery and development of oil has brought to the Emirates. From a distance the city of Abu Dhabi - from which this Emirate derives its name – is said to look like a mirage with its minarets, domes and towers shimmering in the sunlight. Move closer and these reveal themselves as gleaming white mosques, glass clad offices and elegant high-rise apartments surrounded by parks, gardens, trees and shrubs.
As you already know my main appointment today was with gold flake adorned high tea at the sumptuous Emirates Palace Hotel but on a impulse spotting that the Big Bus Tour began from the pier I quickly donned my boots – made for waking of course (!) - and was the first passenger of the day for the Red Route – there was only one route and I’m not sure if it was named red because if you did the whole route on the open upper deck of three-and-a-half-hours you would definitely be that colour by the time you got off!
The photo is from the Big Bus brochure. I know you will not be able to read it but it will give you some idea of the extent of this city and I have marked the location of tow man points of interest: the Grand Mosque and the Emirates Palace Hotel.
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