Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Culture, Architecture & Calm on the Gulf

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the country's largest emirate. Compared with Dubai's frantic energy, its character is calmer and more cultural: a world-famous white grand mosque, a museum designed by Jean Nouvel, a long, quiet waterfront promenade and, not far away, dunes, mangroves and racing circuits. Many travelers combine it with Dubai to see both sides of the country.

💡 Fun Facts & History

• 💡The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, opened in 2007, has more than 80 domes and one of the largest hand-made carpets in the world. It is open to visitors of any faith outside prayer times.
• 💡The Louvre Abu Dhabi, opened in 2017 and designed by Jean Nouvel, sits under a vast steel dome that filters sunlight and creates the effect known as the "rain of light."
• 💡Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven emirates founded in 1971, and its largest emirate, holding most of the country's territory.
• 💡The city sits on an island linked to the mainland by bridges. Its waterfront promenade, the Corniche, can be walked or cycled with views of the skyline.
• 💡Qasr Al Hosn, an 18th-century fort, is one of the city's oldest structures and recalls Abu Dhabi's origins before the modern urban boom.
• 💡Yas Island hosts the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit, and the island also has theme parks and beaches.