Abu Dhabi From Desert Tribe to Cosmopolitan Capital

The drive from the airport offers an incredible glimpse into how this city has become the thriving capital of the UAE. The robust modern infrastructure goes beyond just apartments, hospitals, and parks. It includes ports, massive highways, and an ever-growing number of artificial islands. Visionary leadership with innovation and global partnership has transformed the city and also created a major tourist destination.

For me, however, the extreme humidity and long, hot days make this a maximum four-day stay. If you have children, they may want to stay longer.

In truth, we are primarily here for a concert and an IMAX movie. Hans Zimmer’s modern, funky orchestra, comprising over sixty musicians, takes to the stage at the Etihad Arena. 18,000 attendees have a mind-blowing music/ light show. Zimmer is the mastermind behind the music in films like Gladiator, Top Gun Maverick, The Lion King, and many more. 
Cars, mainly luxury vehicles, speed along multilane highways. It takes just twenty minutes to get from the airport to downtown Abu Dhabi.

The airport is sleek and modern, but the arrival process is lengthy and somewhat confusing. Major global airports are working on ways to streamline and speed up the airport process and experience.

Our hotel, the Royal Meridien, was built more than thirty years ago and has undergone a major refurbishment during the Covid period. The hotel offers a wide selection of restaurants, though the bedrooms remain somewhat dated. On our first night, we dined at Stratos, the revolving restaurant, where excellent service marked the beginning of our stay. Another evening, we discovered the beautifully decorated Beirut Sur Mer restaurant. The cuisine was superb, but a bottle of red wine from their home country started at a hefty 100 US dollars.

The airport is sleek and modern, but the arrival process is lengthy and somewhat confusing. Major global airports are working on ways to streamline and speed up the airport process and experience.

The city’s incredible story begins with the semi-nomadic Yas tribe of the eighteenth century, who settled by the sea. Today, Abu Dhabi has become a wealthy, cosmopolitan metropolis. It has two key drivers of growth. Oil, which came in the 1950s, followed by visionary leadership, has shaped its evolution. Interestingly, the male-to-female ratio is 67 to 33 per cent. This may reflect the level of building work that goes on in high temperatures.

More recently, the city’s focus has shifted towards developing the tourist destination, featuring world-class shopping malls, desert experiences, and an exceptionally safe and hospitable environment. Economic incentives, a value-added economy, and a population where Emiratis make up only 12% of the population contribute to the city’s dynamism. Many highways are lined with trees, and creative use of the sea, mangroves, and artificial islands continue to expand.

International companies and major brands are investing heavily here, including Disney, Ferrari, and numerous theme parks such as SeaWorld and Water World. We visited TeamLab for a fun visual and audio experience that kept us entertained for a couple of hours. 

The last time I was in Abu Dhabi was for a duty-free event, which must have been decades ago. I stayed in the same hotel. That night, I met Tony Bennett backstage before a performance; he was drinking a bottle of whisky, a fix he seemingly needed before singing. However he lived to be 96.

The Royal Meridien upgrade works well. Loads of fantastic restaurants, very friendly staff, and many Sri Lankans, Indians, Nepalese, and Africans are working here. 

In fact, we gave tickets to two Sri Lankan hotel staff so they could watch an IMAX movie. They were so appreciative.

With our close friends who organised our stay, it’s now time to leave this hot, humid little paradise. I may return for another concert, but it’s not my kind of holiday destination.