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More than a half century ago, Abu Dhabi was
a small village of fishermen and pearl divers. Its
economy was also based on raising camels and
on the production of dates and vegetables. To-
day, it is one of the world’s largest oil producers,
more than 1.5 million barrels per day. This source
of energy, discovered in 1958 by English explo-
rers, is responsible for the transformation that the
country has undergone in the last and first deca-
des of the 20
th
and 21
st
centuries, respectively.
The city has become a cosmopolitan metropolis
and the richest one in the Arab Emirates.
Abu Dhabi’s economy is not only based on oil
and finance; the sale of luxury goods and its lei-
sure and entertainment offering are currently the
most important sources of revenue. It is a city
of large avenues with luxury cars, huge skyscra-
pers, including the monumental Ethihad Towers
in the popular Corniche beachfront with nume-
rous mosques and many well-kept gardens.
A group of islands
Abu Dhabi is made up of a group of islands con-
nected by bridges. The current distribution of its
population within the city will be changing dra-
matically in the coming years when residential
complexes are built in the outlying areas.
Abu Dhabi will have a large culture and art cen-
tre. Two large museums will be situated in Saa-
diyat Island: the Louvre and the Guggenheim. By
the end of 2018, this island located 500 metres