As befits a fairytale city, Abu Dhabi is in a not-so-ordinary place. It stands on an island just off the mainland, on the northeast corner of the Persian Gulf.
To get to Abu Dhabi, you can cross one of the highway bridges. And be prepared to fall in love with the capital of the Emirates on the way there. It's an unforgettable experience to drive over the bridge over the bay and see one of the most extraordinary cities you've ever been to grow and expand before you.
The population of Abu Dhabi is just under a million, with the vast majority being foreign workers.
Official city website (there's an English-language version).
Settlements on the site date back five thousand years, and Abu Dhabi itself was founded in the second half of the 18th century.
Its appearance is connected with a very beautiful local legend about a gazelle that led hunters who were pursuing it to a beautiful oasis. The grateful hunters did not kill the animal - on the contrary, the city founded near the oasis was named in its honor. Because Abu Dhabi translates from Arabic as "father of the gazelle".
In the mid-20th century, when an oil field was discovered in the emirate, Abu Dhabi transformed from a small town into a delightful modern metropolis without losing its oriental charm.
