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21 unusual facts about Abu Dhabi


Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey

The Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey (ADIAS) was established in 1992 on the instruction of the late President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to survey for, record and where appropriate, excavate archaeological sites on the coast and islands of Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company

The venue has a diverse yearly calendar of over 100 events, such as the International Defense Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) and the World Future Energy Summit (WFES), the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC), Cityscape Abu Dhabi, and the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition.

Abu Dhabi National Hotels

As of 2012, within the hotel and hotel apartment sector the company owned over 15 properties located in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah.

Whilst the majority of Abu Dhabi National Hotel's properties are located in Abu Dhabi, the company is expanding aggressively across the UAE.

Abu Dhabi National Hotels is broad based hotel, tourism, transport and catering group, part of which is owned by the Abu Dhabi government.

Archaeopotamus

Fossils of Archaeopotamus have been unearthed near Lake Turkana, Kenya; near Lake Victoria in Kenya and in Abu Dhabi and thus likely ranged across East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Australian rules football in the Middle East

In February 2008, the first AFL match in the United Arab Emirates was held at the Ghantoot Polo and Racing Club in Abu Dhabi between the Adelaide Crows and the Collingwood Magpies.

The Dingoes held a 9-a-side international tournament in early 2007, also featuring teams from Abu Dhabi, Oman and Qatar.

Chris Barty

Barty made his international debut on 1 April 2012, at the 2012 AFC Dream Asia Cerebral Palsy Tournament in Abu Dhabi, and has since competed at tournaments in the Ukraine and Spain.

Christoffel Nortje

Professor Nortje has spoken extensively in Maxillofacial Radiology scientific meetings in Hungary, Italy, USA, Brazil, Abu Dhabi, Lebanon, Bangkok, Thailand, China, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Dusit Thani Group

Dusit International also announces its first step in China - Dusit Thani Sanya as well as other projects in the pipeline, including Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, Dusit Residence West Bay Doha, Dusit Thani Dilmunia Bahrain, and Dusit Thani Jeddah.

Gulf Air Flight 771

Most of the dead were Pakistani nationals, many returning to jobs in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain after spending the Eid al Adha holiday with their families in Pakistan.

Gulf Tiger

The city of Dubai is the second most prosperous emirate of the United Arab Emirates, after Abu Dhabi, and with a cosmopolitan population of 1.6 million, is consolidating its preeminent role as a regional hub while aspiring to be a global city.

Human trafficking in Belgium

The government previously reported that it charged eight family members of the royal family of Abu Dhabi (UAE) with human trafficking in 2008 for subjecting 17 girls to forced servitude while staying at a Brussels hotel.

José Sand

On 7 August 2009, he was sold to the Al Ain S.C.C. of Abu Dhabi at $10 million, and presented in Valencia, Spain before media from all over Spain, Argentina and the UAE.

Land reclamation in the United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi has done extensive land reclamation in recent years.

Countless land reclamation projects, both completed, under construction, and planned, have changed the appearance of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and other emirates and helped to make them world-famous.

Morning After Dark

Timbaland performed part of the lead single "Morning After Dark" live at one of the album's launch parties at Mandalay Bay Beach on October 17 and again During the F1 in Abu Dhabi, UAE on October 30, 2009.

Rotana Hotels

Rotana launched its new budget hotel concept: Centro with the opening of Centro Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

The Arab Sustainability Leadership Group

Regional Members - Current active members of the ASLG include Abraaj Capital, Aramex, Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, HBS International Ltd, JorAMCo, Jordan River Foundation, National Commercial Bank, Paltel, SEKEM, Shell Jordan, Standard Chartered Jordan and Sustainability Excellence.

World Renewable Energy Network

The next congresses will be in Abu Dhabi (UAE) in 2010 and in Denver (USA) in 2012 respectively.


2009 Formula One season

Abu Dhabi made its first appearance on the F1 calendar with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix being held at the Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island on 1 November, thereby displacing the Brazilian Grand Prix as the final round of the season.

Al-ssadiq Al-raddi

Al-ssadiq contributed by recited his poetry in Abu Dhabi International for Book Fair in April 2004.Al-ssadiq has poetry translated to English by The Centre of Poetry Translation CPT, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and the translation had done by Sudanese poet Hafiz Kheir, poet Sarah Maguire and poet Mark Ford.

Carapelli Computers

In the year 2001, Carapelli again expanded its operations by establishing a large retail and wholesale presence in the U.A.E.'s trade capital Dubai and subsequently in the year 2002 Carapelli created two more branch locations at the Jebel Ali freezone port and in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Casey Patrick Tebo

Tebo was discovered by Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler while working as an editor on Aerosmith's Rockin' the Joint album alongside English music director Dick Carruthers in 2003, frontman Steven Tyler aptly told Tebo, "You should be the one directing." Since 2006, Tebo has spanned the globe from Moscow to Abu Dhabi serving as Aerosmith's tour documentarian and live director, creating dozens of short film concert pieces for the band along the way.

Commission for Academic Accreditation

It was established in 1999, with headquarters in UAE's capital city Abu Dhabi, and is a department of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Crypto AG

The company has about 230 employees, has offices in Abidjan, Abu Dhabi, Buenos Aires, Kuala Lumpur, Muscat, Selsdon and Steinhausen, and does business throughout the world.

Emirates Foundation

Emirates Foundation (EF) was launched in April 2005 as an initiative from General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

General Maritime Treaty of 1820

The General Maritime Treaty of 1820 was a treaty initially signed between the rulers of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and Umm al-Quwain and the United Kingdom in January 1820, with the nearby island state of Bahrain acceding to the treaty in the following February.

Graff Diamonds

Graff has over 35 stores around the world including New York, Monte Carlo, Courchevel, Kiev, Beijing and Taipei; 2013 will see the opening of new stores including Abu Dhabi and Seoul.

M. A. Yousuf Ali

He is the Managing Director of Abu Dhabi-headquartered EMKE LuLu Group of companies that owns the Lulu Hypermarket chain in Middle East.

While the entry of Continent (now Carrefour) in 1995 changed the face of retail business in Dubai, Yusuffali took charge of Abu Dhabi's retail sector by rolling out LuLu Hypermarket in Abu Dhabi.

Natasha Seatter

In January 2011, Natasha was the youngest and only female racing driver who was tested and approved by former F1 champions, Nigel Mansell, Jean Alesi and the current lotus F1 development driver, James Rossiter to drive the new Lotus T125 at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan Recovery Fund

Various discreet sponsorship opportunities also exist in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, London, Dubai/Abu Dhabi and in Pakistan itself.

Shehab Ahmed

After a long absence that lasted for almost two seasons, Shehab made a phenomenal comeback in the Etisalat Emirates Cup competition and scored the winning goal in the finale against Al-Wahda in the 73rd minute which handed Al Ain FC the first Etisalat Emirates Cup.

Sri Lankan diaspora

Most expatriates from Sri Lanka, along with other immigrants from the Indian subcontinent, tend to be found in Dubai, although sizeable communities are existent in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al-Ain and Ras al-Khaimah.

Strata Tower

Strata Tower is a forty-story luxury residential building, designed by New-York based architects Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture of Asymptote Architecture, currently being built on Al Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber

In 2009, he led Masdar’s participation in the successful bid by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency(IRENA) in Abu Dhabi.

The Curse of DarKastle

Since its opening another attraction of this type has been commissioned in Japan at the Tokyo Dome (Tokyo Panic Cruise, 2009) and at Ferrari World theme park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Tim Footman

His work has appeared in The Guardian, Mojo, Time Out, Prospect, the Bangkok Post, The National (Abu Dhabi), the Sunday Post, the Yorkshire Post, BBC Online, CNNGo, Drowned In Sound, Careless Talk Costs Lives, Aeon, Zembla, Twill and the International Journal of Baudrillard Studies.

UAE Chess Federation

Later on, chess started to spread across all Emirates and chess clubs were set up in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah and Al-Ain.