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This article is about the city. For the municipal region, see Abu Dhabi Central Capital District. For the emirate, see Emirate of Abu Dhabi. For other uses, see Abu Dhabi (disambiguation).
Abu Dhabi
ʾAbū Ẓabī (أَبُو ظَبِي)
Capital city and metropolis
Abu Dhabi Skyline in 2014
Emirates Palace
Al Ras Al Akhdar
Sheikh Zayed Mosque
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
From top, left to right: Abu Dhabi's skyline, Emirates Palace, Al Ras Al Akhdar, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Ferrari World
Flag of Abu Dhabi
Flag
Coat of arms of Abu Dhabi
Coat of arms
Official logo of Abu Dhabi
Wordmark
Abu Dhabi is located in United Arab EmiratesAbu DhabiAbu Dhabi
Location of Abu Dhabi within the UAE
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Coordinates: 24°28′N 54°22′E
Country United Arab Emirates
Emirate Abu Dhabi
Municipal region Central Capital District[1]
Government
• Type Municipality
History
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan, brother of Sheikh Zayed, ruled Abu Dhabi from 1928 to 1966
The area surrounding Abu Dhabi is full of archaeological evidence from historical civilisations, such as the Umm Al Nar Culture, which dates back from the third millennium BC. Other settlements were also found farther outside the modern city of Abu Dhabi, including the eastern[11] and western regions of the Emirate.[12]
Etymology
"Abu" is Arabic for father, and "Dhabi" is the Arabic word for gazelle. Abu Dhabi means "Father of Gazelle." It is thought that this name came about because of the abundance of gazelles in the area and a folk tale involving Shakhbut bin Dhiyab al Nahyan.[5][13]
Origins of Al Nahyan
Main article: Al Nahyan family
The Bani Yas was originally centered on the Liwa Oasis in the Emirate's western region. This tribe was the most significant in the area, having over 20 subsections. In 1793, the ruling Al Bu Falah subsection migrated to the island of Abu Dhabi on the coast of the Persian Gulf due to the discovery of fresh water there. The genealogically senior family within this section was the Nahyan family, which is now the ruling family of Abu Dhabi.[14]
Pearl trade
The pearl diving business was a key industry prior to the discovery of oil reserves. According to a source about pearling, the Persian Gulf was the best location for pearls.[15] Pearl divers dive for one to three minutes and would have dived as many as thirty times per day. Air tanks and any other sort of mechanical device was forbidden. The divers had a leather nose clip and leather coverings on their fingers and big toes to protect them while they searched for oysters.[16] The divers were not paid for a day's work but received a portion of the season's earnings.[17]
Trucial coast
In the 19th century, as a result of treaties (known as "truces" which gave the coast its name) entered into between Great Britain and the sheikhs of the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, Britain became the predominant influence in the area.[18] The main purpose of British interest was to protect the trade route to India from pirates, hence, the earlier name for the area, the "Pirate Coast". After the suppression of piracy, other considerations came into play, such as a strategic need of the British to exclude other powers from the region. Following their withdrawal from India in 1947, the British maintained their influence in Abu Dhabi as interest in the oil potential of the Persian Gulf grew.[19]
First oil discoveries
In the mid to late 1930s, as the pearl trade declined, interest grew in the oil possibilities of the region. On 5 January 1936, Petroleum Development Trucial Coast Ltd (PDTC), an associate company of the Iraq Petroleum Company, entered into a concession agreement with the ruler, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to explore for oil. This was followed by a seventy-five-year concession signed in January 1939. However, owing to the desert terrain, inland exploration was fraught with difficulties. In 1953, D'Arcy Exploration Company, the exploration arm of BP, obtained an offshore concession which was then transferred to a company created to operate the concession: Abu Dhabi Marine Areas (ADMA) was a joint venture between BP and Compagnie Française des Pétroles (later Total). In 1958, using a marine drilling platform, the ADMA Enterprise, oil was struck in the Umm Shaif field at a depth of about 2,669 metres (8,755 ft). This was followed in 1959 by PDTC's onshore discovery well at Murban No.3.[20]
ADMA discovered the Bu Hasa oil field in 1962 and the Lower Zakum oil field in 1963. Today, in addition to the oil fields mentioned, the main producing fields onshore are Asab, Sahil and Shah, and offshore are al-Bunduq, and Abu al-Bukhoosh.[20]