Growth and Development of

Abu Dhabi

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Introduction:
In the Arab Peninsula's southeast, Oman & Saudi Arabia border the UAE.  Umm Al-Quwain
and Fujairah were added to the UAE in 1971, as were the autonomous use of Abu Dhabi,
Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman. Ras Al Khaimah joined the federation in 1972. Central to the
area in Abu Dhabi, UAE country's wealthiest city.

This academic essay will present a high-level overview of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the
United Arab Emirates. We'll speak about the progress that Abu Dhabi has made. We'll also
take a look at the music and dance customs of many civilizations. The civilizations of Africa
and India's sub continental areas have an impact on Emirati culture. Islam has affected the
architecture, music, fashion, food, and manner of life in the area (Department of foreign
affairs and trade, 2018).

Abu Dhabi:
Second, only to Dubai in terms of population, Dhabi is the UAE's biggest city. 'Abu Dhabi'
translates as 'land of gazelles' in Arabic. The Maqta & Mussafah bridges link the city to the
mainland since it is located on an island. Furthermore, new bridges joining San Francisco
with the continent are now being constructed (www.eyeonasia.gov.sg, n.d.).

Figure 1: Abu Dhabi city

Urbanization Growth and Development:
From 13 km2 in 1975 to 758 km2 in 2019 in 44 years, Abu Dhabi's urban land area rose
1700%. It is the world's fastest-growing city. Recent social and economic growth has resulted
in unprecedented population growth. The emirate's confidence and ambition to build its urban
infrastructure grew with the discovery and pricing of oil.

Since 1973, huge oil income has allowed the government to spend on social infrastructure
initiatives. From 1975 through 2019, private investment fueled massive urbanization and
population expansion. Figure 2 shows that Abu Dhabi's people have grown from 1 million in
1975 to approximately 1.32 million now. Abu Dhabi's population grew from 655,000 in 2005
to nearly 1.3 million in 2019. The yearly growth rate averaged 5.2 percent, doubling in 13.5
years.

Table 1: Abu Dhabi Population Growth (1965-2019)

Population Number Annual Growth Rate

Year
1000 persons (%)
2019 1323 5.2
2015 1145 5.4
2010 879 6.1
2005 655 5.3
2000 505 5.2
1995 392 3.5
1990 331 3.5
1985 279 4.1
1980 229 13.8
1975 120 14.1
1970 62 14.1
1965 32 14.8
1960 16 -----
 Figure 2: Abu Dhabi Population Growth Bar Graph

Figure 2 shows Emiratis as a minority in their city. Those who live in cities are primarily
Asian. Also, as Indians send labor to Abu Dhabi, they are ranked first. For example, about
half of the workforce comes from India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh. The remainder is Afghan
and Asian. Brits, Americans, and Europeans make up 3.0% of a city's workforce. Likewise,
the Emirates population is low (11% of the total population) (Elessawy, 2021).

Figure 3: The nationalities population of Abu Dhabi city

Particular Dance in Abu Dhabi:

The most renowned UAE dance, Al-Ayyala, has men and boys swaying to a continuous
rhythm. Al-Ayyala attends weddings and other events.
Al-Ayyala represents Bedouin virtues and courage while reinforcing decency and honesty.
The dance, which symbolizes Emirati cultural values, became a national icon (Abu Dhabi
Culture, 2018).

In Oman, UAE, & Abu Dhabi, Al-Ayyala is performed during marriages. Their ages and
backgrounds vary. The top performer is usually inherited and guides others (Google.com,
2021).

Figure 4: The Al-Ayyala Particular Dance

History of Dance in Abu Dhabi (UAE):

Individuals and organizations in Dubai are preserving cultural history via dance, even though
recent rebirths like Abu Dhabi & Dubai have a culturally rich background.

The UAE people value traditional dancing their traditional dance which is performed at
public and private gatherings—the UAE values preserving ancient traditions for future
generations (Brooklyn Melodies, 2018).

What is Smart City?

When a city collects and analyses enormous amounts of information from a broad range of
businesses, from city design to trash collection, it is dubbed "smart." A sophisticated network
of sensors, gadgets, and software is required in a smart city.

As a result, the city's people should benefit from a more ecologically responsible and cost-
effective living environment.
 Figure 5: Smart city view
Smart cities are supported by several types of technologies, including:
 The technology of information and communication (ICT).
 The IoT network connects physical objects.
 Systems for storing and using geographic data (GIS).
Collectively, they gather and interpret vast quantities of data that may be utilized to enhance
municipal systems and infrastructure components (CB Insights Research, 2020).
Abu Dhabi particularity as Smart City:
The UAE Government strives to achieve a perfect balance between economic and social
development while conserving the environment. Smart, sustainable towns are being built in
Abu Dhabi and Dubai (u.ae, n.d.).

In a global rating of smart cities, Abu Dhabi raised 14 spots to 28th rank. For the third year in
a row, Abu Dhabi topped the Middle East using technology to improve residents' lives (The
National, n.d.).

How to develop a city into the smart city:

There are many different ways to implement a smart city initiative. Any successful program
should focus on five areas: backbone infrastructure, city and county, and community
command structure constructions, self-sustaining service delivery, technical and innovation
advancements, as well as the social infrastructure of the community (Smart Cities Dive, n.d.).
Conclusion:

Finally, we will explore Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, which is a quickly evolving city
in terms of expansion and employment rate. The inhabitants of this metropolis continue to
grow on a daily basis. For this city to go further, it is necessary to make more significant
changes in its economy.

The idea of smart cities is a fantastic one. In a smart city, all of the city's critical services are
linked collectively. Physical and digital reliable system from this as well since it boosts their
safety, longevity, and user pleasure.

References:
1. Department of foreign affairs and trade (2018). United Arab Emirates country brief.
[online] Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Available
at: https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/united-arab-emirates/united-arab-emirates-country-
brief.
2. www.eyeonasia.gov.sg. (n.d.). Abu Dhabi - A city profile. [online] Available at:
https://www.eyeonasia.gov.sg/other-asian-countries/uae/abu-dhabi-a-city-profile/.
3. Elessawy, F.M. (2021). The Abnormal Population Growth and Urban Sprawl of an
Arabian Gulf City: The Case of Abu Dhabi City. Open Journal of Social Sciences,
[online] 9(2), pp.245–269. Available at:
https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=107236.
4. Abu Dhabi Culture. (2018). Al Ayyala. [online] Available at:
https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/discover/performances/al-ayyala.
5. Google.com. (2021). Redirect Notice. [online] Available at:
https://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiPzaH
ar_nzAhVuhf0HHTcvCawQFnoECAoQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fich.unesco.org
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and-the-united-arab-emirates-01012&usg.
6. Brooklyn Melodies. (2018). The Dance History in the UAE. [online] Available at:
https://www.brooklynmelodies.com/dance-history-uae/.
7. CB Insights Research. (2020). What is a Smart City? [online] Available at:
https://www.cbinsights.com/research/what-are-smart-cities/.

8. u.ae. (n.d.). Smart sustainable cities - The Official Portal of the UAE Government.
[online] Available at: https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/digital-uae/smart-sustainable-
cities.
9. The National. (n.d.). Abu Dhabi climbs in global smart-city ranking to lead the
Middle East. [online] Available at:
https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/technology/2021/10/28/abu-dhabi-
advances-in-global-smart-city-ranking-to-lead-the-middle-east/.
10. Smart Cities Dive. (n.d.). 5 focal points needed to develop a smart city. [online]
Available at: https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/5-focal-points-needed-to-
develop-a-smart-city/580023/.