Official name	City of Abu Dhabi
Continent	Asia
Name	Abu Dhabi|settlement_type City
Native name	أبوظبي ''Abū Dhabi"
Pushpin map	UAE
Pushpin mapsize	280
Pushpin map caption	Location of Abu Dhabi in the UAE
Government type	Constitutional monarchy
Subdivision type1	Country
Subdivision name1	United Arab Emirates
Coordinates display	inline,title
Coordinates type	region:AE-AZ_type:city
Leader title	Sheikh
Leader name	Khalifa bin Zayed
Leader title1	Crown Prince
Leader name1	Mohammed bin Zayed
Area total km2	67.34
Altitude	27
Population as of	2009
Population total	896,751
Population density km2	13317
Utc offset	+4
Timezone	UAE standard time
Website	Abu Dhabi Government Portal
Footnotes	}}

Abu Dhabi ( ''''), literally ''Father of gazelle'', is the capital and the second largest city in the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western coast. The city proper had an estimated population of 896,751 in 2009.

Abu Dhabi houses important offices of the federal government, and is the seat for the United Arab Emirates Government and the home for the Abu Dhabi Emiri Family and the President of the UAE from this family. Abu Dhabi has grown to be a cosmopolitan metropolis. Its rapid development and urbanisation, coupled with the relatively high average income of its population, has transformed Abu Dhabi to a larger and advanced metropolis. Today the city is the country's center of political, industrial activities, and a major cultural, and commercial centre due to its position as the capital. Abu Dhabi alone generated 56.7% of the GDP of the United Arab Emirates in 2008.

Abu Dhabi is home to important financial institutions such as the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates and the corporate headquarters of many companies and numerous multinational corporations. One of the world's largest producers of oil, Abu Dhabi has actively attempted to diversify its economy in recent years through investments in financial services and tourism. Abu Dhabi is the second most expensive city for expatriate employees in the region, and 50th most expensive city in the world. ''Fortune'' & CNN stated that Abu Dhabi is the richest city in the world.

History

Early Civilizations

Abu Dhabi is full of archeological evidence pointing to civilizations having been located there from the 3rd millennium BCE. Settlements were also found further out of the modern city of Abu Dhabi but close to the modern city of Al Ain. There is evidence of civilizations around the mountain of Hafeet (Jebel Hafeet). This location is very strategic because it is the UAE’s second tallest mountain so it would have great visibility and it contains a lot of moisture in the form of springs and lakes today, which means there would have been even more back thousands of years ago.

Origins of the Al Nahyan Family

The Bani Yas Bedouin tribe made their civilization off the coast of the Persian Gulf in the 16th century due to the discovery of fresh water. This tribe was the most significant in the area, having over 20 subsections. The tribe was originally centered in the Liwa Oasis but the Al Bu Falah subsection migrated to modern Abu Dhabi in 1793. One section within this subsection was named the Al Nahyan Family. This family makes up the rulers of Abu Dhabi today.

Pearl Trade

Abu Dhabi worked in the pearl business and traded with others. According to a source about pearling the Persian Gulf was the best location for pearls. Pearl divers dived for one to one-and-a-half minutes, and would have dived up to thirty times per day. There were no oxygen tanks and any other sort of mechanical device was forbidden. The divers had a leather nose clip and leather coverings on their fingers and big toes to protect them while they searched for oysters. The divers were not paid for a day’s work but received a portion of the season’s earnings.

Trucial Coast

In the 19th century, as a result of treaties (known as "truces" which gave the coast its name) entered into between Great Britain and the sheikhs of the Gulf shore, Britain became the predominant influence in the area. The main purpose of British interest was to protect the trade route to India from pirates, hence the earlier name for the area, "the "Pirate Coast". After piracy was suppressed other considerations came into play, such as a strategic need of the British to exclude other powers from the region. Following their withdrawal from India in 1947, the British maintained their influence in Abu Dhabi as interest in the oil potential of the Gulf grew.

First Oil Discoveries

In the 1930s, as the pearl trade declined, interest grew in the oil possibilities of the region. On 5 January 1936, Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) Ltd, an associate company of the Iraq Petroleum Company, entered into a concession agreement with the ruler, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan al Nahyan, to explore for oil. This was followed by a seventy-five-year concession signed in January 1939. However, owing to the desert terrain, inland exploration was fraught with difficulties. In 1953, D'Arcy Exploration Company, the exploration arm of British Petroleum, obtained an offshore concession which was then transferred to a company created to operate the concession: Abu Dhabi Marine Areas (ADMA) was a joint venture between BP and Compagnie Française des Pétroles (later Total). In 1958, using a marine drilling platform, the ADMA Enterprise, oil was struck in the Umm Shaif field at a depth of about 8,755 feet. This was followed in 1959 by PDTC’s onshore discovery well at Murban No.3.

In 1962, the company discovered the Bu Hasa field and ADMA followed in 1965 with the discovery of the Zakum offshore field. Today, in addition to the oil fields mentioned, the main producing fields onshore are Asab, Sahil and Shah, and offshore are al-Bunduq, and Abu al-Bukhoosh.

Geography and climate

The city of Abu Dhabi is geographically located on the north-eastern part of the Persian Gulf in the Arabian Peninsula. It is on an island located less than two-hundred-and-fifty metres from the mainland and is joined to the mainland by the Maqta and Mussafah Bridges. A third, Sheikh Zayed Bridge, designed by Zaha Hadid, was opened in late 2010. Abu Dhabi Island is also connected to Saadiyat Island by a five-lane motorway bridge. Al-Mafraq bridge connects the city to Reem Island and was completed in early 2011. This is a multilayer interchange bridge and it has a total of twenty-seven lanes which allow roughly twenty-five thousand automobiles to move per hour. There are three major bridges of the project, the largest has eight lanes, four leaving Abu Dhabi city and four coming in.

Most of Abu Dhabi is located on the island itself, but it has many suburbs on the mainland for example: Khalifa City A,B and C, Al Raha Beach, Al Bahia City A,B and C, Al Shahama, Al Rahba, Between Two Bridges, Baniyas and Mussafah Residential.

Abu Dhabi has a hot arid climate. Sunny blue skies can be expected throughout the year. The months of June through September are generally hot and humid with maximum temperatures averaging above . During this time, sandstorms also occur intermittently, in some cases reducing visibility down to a few meters.

The weather is cooler from November to March. This period also sees dense fog on some days. The oasis city of Al-Ain, about away, bordering Oman, regularly records the highest summer temperatures in the country; however, the dry desert air and cooler evenings make it a traditional retreat from the intense summer heat and year-round humidity of the capital city.

Governance and politics

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the hereditary ruler of Abu Dhabi (UAE). He is a son of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the United Arab Emirates. His half-brother, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and wields considerable influence as Chairman of Abu Dhabi's Executive Council and Deputy Supreme Commander of the armed forces of The United Arab Emirates.

The total number of members of the Executive Council has been slimmed down to 98 since the succession and it now consists largely of prominent members of the ruling family as well as a number of respected politicians.

The emirates maintain their hereditary rulers who, as a group, form the UAE’s Supreme Council of Rulers, headed by the president. Although the presidency is renewable every five years through a vote in the council, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan held the presidency from the formation of the UAE until his death in November 2004, and there is an implicit understanding that Abu Dhabi’s ruler will always be elected president.

At a federal level, laws must be ratified by the Supreme Council. The Council of Ministers forms the executive authority of the state. This 20-member cabinet is headed by the president’s chosen prime minister, a post currently held by Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The cabinet also refers to the Federal National Council (FNC), a 40-member consultative body to which each emirate appoints a certain number of members. In the case of Abu Dhabi, this is eight. The procedures for appointment to the FNC have recently been amended so that each emirate must now select its representatives through an electoral body. The size of each electoral authority must be 100 times greater than the number of representatives it appoints. Half the members of each electoral body will be selected by the ruler of the emirate while the other half will be directly elected by residents of the emirate. These amendments are considered to be the first step in a wider electoral reform program which will see greater representation at a federal level.

The Abu Dhabi Information & Service Gateway www.abudhabi.ae

frame|alt=Logo of the Abu Dhabi Information and Service Gateway|Abu Dhabi Gateway Logo|right|400pxThe Abu Dhabi e-Government Gateway, abudhabi.ae, is the official website of Abu Dhabi Government providing citizens, residents, tourists and businesses comprehensive information and services around Abu Dhabi. The Gateway is a one-stop-shop for information about the ruling system, environment, sightseeing, events, labour law, jobs and contact details of over 90 departments in Abu Dhabi.

The website is designed as a service oriented portal with the objective of hosting government online services, delivering up-to-date information and providing a platform for interaction between the government and society. More than 50 interactive and transactional services are currently provided through the Abu Dhabi e-Government Gateway. The information & service gateway is also empowered by a multi-layered geographic map of Abu Dhabi, which allows the user to view the map based on his area of interest. The search and directory services on the portal cover a large diversity of information including schools, medical facilities, hotels, restaurants, events, trade names among others. Transactional services such as paying traffic fines, applying for fishing licence or requesting Property Certificates require secure authentication via Emirates ID (EIDA-card) and PIN.

Cityscape

Neighborhoods

Al Mushrif

Al Khubeirah

Al Ras Al Akhdar

Al Bateen

Hideriyyat

Marina Village

Lulu Island

Al Meena

Al Markaziyah

Al Dhafrah

Al Manhal

Qasr El Bahr

Al Nahyan

Al Rowdaj

Qasr El Shatie

Al Qubesat

Al Aman

Al Moroor

Al Zahraa

Al Rehhan

Al Muzoon

Al Madina

Al Maqtaa

{[aL Maqtaa}]

Architecture

The density of Abu Dhabi varies, with high employment density in the central area, high residential densities in central downtown and lower densities in the suburbs. In the dense areas, most of the concentration is achieved with medium- and high-rise buildings. Abu Dhabi's skyscrapers such as the notable Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Tower, the National Bank of Abu Dhabi headquarters, the Hilton Hotel Tower and the Etisalat headquarters are usually found in the financial districts of Abu Dhabi. Other notable modern buildings include the Emirates Palace with its design inspired by Arab heritage, and the www.visitabudhabi.com

The development of tall buildings has been encouraged in the Abu Dhabi Plan 2030, which will lead to the construction of many new skyscrapers over the next decade, particularly in the expansion of Abu Dhabi's central business district such as the new developments on Al Sowwah Island and Al Reem Island. Abu Dhabi already has a number of supertall skyscrapers under construction throughout the city. Some of the tallest buildings on the skyline include the Central Market Residential Tower, the The Landmark (Abu Dhabi) and the 74-storey, Sky Tower. Also many other skyscrapers over (500 ft) are either proposed or approved and could transform the city's skyline. As of July 2008, there were 62 high-rise buildings under construction, approved for construction, or proposed for construction.

One of the most important architectural landmarks is the majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This masterpiece is arguably one of the most important architectural treasures of contemporary UAE society - and one of the most beautiful in the world. It was initiated by the late President of the United Arab Emirates, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, fondly thought of as the father of the UAE.

Its design and construction 'unites the world', using artisans and materials from many countries including Italy, Germany, Morocco, India, Turkey, Iran, China, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Greece and of course the United Arab Emirates. More than 3,000 workers and 38 renowned contracting companies took part in the construction of the Mosque! Natural materials were chosen for much of its design and construction due to their long-lasting qualities, including marble, stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals and ceramics. Construction began on November 5, 1996. The maximum capacity is approximately 41,000 people and the overall structure is 22,412 square metres and although still under completion, the internal prayer halls were initially opened in December 2007.

As one of the most visited buildings in the UAE, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center was established to manage the day to day operations, as a place of worship and Friday gathering and also a centre of learning and discovery through its education and visitor programs. Persons planning a visit the mosque can go to www.szgmc.ae for all the information they require.

Parks and gardens

Abu Dhabi has over 2000 well-maintained parks and gardens and more than 400 km of coastline, of which 10 km are public beaches.

Economy

The UAE’s large hydrocarbon wealth gives it one of the highest GDP per capita in the world and Abu Dhabi owns the majority of these resources – 95% of the oil and 6% of gas. Abu Dhabi thus holds 9% of the world’s proven oil reserves (98.2bn barrels) and almost 5% of the world’s natural gas (5.8 trillion cu metres). Oil production in the UAE was in the region of 2.3m barrels per day (bpd) in 2010, and projects are in progress to boost production to 3m bpd. In recent years the focus has turned to gas as increasing domestic consumption for power, desalination and reinjection of gas into oil fields increases demand. Gas extraction is not without its difficulties, however, as demonstrated by the sour gas project at Shah where the gas is rich in hydrogen sulphide content and is expensive to develop and process.

Recently the government has been diversifying their economic plans. Served by high oil prices, the country’s non oil and gas GDP has outstripped that attributable to the energy sector. Remarkably, non oil and gas GDP now constitutes 64% of the UAE’s total GDP. This trend is reflected in Abu Dhabi with substantial new investment in industry, real estate, tourism and retail. As Abu Dhabi is the largest oil producer of the UAE, it has reaped the most benefits from this trend. It has taken on an active diversification and liberalisation programme to reduce the UAE’s reliance on the hydrocarbon sector. This is evident in the emphasis on industrial diversification with the completion of an industrial free zone, Industrial City of Abu Dhabi, and the construction of another, ICAD II, in the pipeline. There has also been a drive to promote the tourism and real estate sectors with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and the Tourism and Development Investment Company undertaking several large-scale development projects. These projects will be served by an improved transport infrastructure with a new port, an expanded airport and a proposed rail link between Abu Dhabi and Dubai all in the development stages.

Abu Dhabi is the wealthiest emirate of the UAE in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and per capita income. More than $1 trillion is invested worldwide in this city alone. The GDP per capita also reached $63,000, which is far above the average income of the United Arab Emirates and which ranks third in the world after Luxembourg and Norway. Abu Dhabi is also planning many future projects sharing with the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and taking 29% of all the GCC future plannings. The United Arab Emirates is a fast-growing economy: in 2006 the per capita income grew by 9%, providing a GDP per capita of $49,700 and ranking third in the world at purchasing power parity. Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), currently estimated at US$ 875 billion, is the world's wealthiest sovereign fund in terms of total asset value. Etihad Airways maintains its headquarters in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi's government is looking to expand revenue from oil and gas production to tourism and other sorts of features which would attract different types of people. This goal is seen in the amount of attention Abu Dhabi is giving to its International Airport. The airport, in 2009, experienced a 30%+ growth in passenger usage. This idea of diversification of the economy is also seen in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 planned by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. In this plan Abu Dhabi's economy will be sustainable and not be dependent on any one facet or source of revenue. More specifically the non-oil portion of income is planned to be increased from about 40% to about 60%.

Utility services

The water supply in Abu Dhabi is managed by the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Company. As of 2006, it supplied 560.2 MiGD (million imperial gallons per day) of water, while the water demand for 2005–06 was estimated to be 511 MiGD. The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD) states that groundwater is the most significant source of water, as well as desalinated potable water, and treated sewage effluent. At 40.6 MiGD, the Umm Al Nar storage is the largest water source for Abu Dhabi, followed by the rivers Shuweihat and Taweelah. With falling groundwater level and rising population density, Abu Dhabi faces a severely acute water shortage. On average each Abu Dhabi resident uses of water per day. Abu Dhabi daily produces 1,532 tonnes of solid wastes which is dumped at three landfill sites by Abu Dhabi Municipality. The daily domestic waste water production is 330 MiGD and industrial waste water is 40 MiGD. A large portion of the sewerage flows as waste into streams, and separation plants.

The city's per capita electricity consumption is about 41,000 kWh and the total supplied is 8,367 MW as of 2007. The distribution of electricity is carried out by companies run by SCIPCO Power and APC Energy. The Abu Dhabi Fire Service runs 13 fire stations that attend about 2,000 fire and rescue calls per year.

State-owned Etisalat and private du communication companies provide telephone and cell phone service to the city. Cellular coverage is extensive, and both GSM and CDMA (from Etisalat and Du) services are available. Etisalat, the government owned telecommunications provider, held a virtual monopoly over telecommunication services in Abu Dhabi prior to the establishment of other, smaller telecommunications companies such as Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC — better known as Du) in 2006. Internet was introduced into Abu Dhabi in 1995. The current network is supported by a bandwidth of 6 GB, with 50,000 dialup and 150,000 broadband ports. Etisalat recently announced implememnting a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network in Abu Dhabi during the third quarter of 2009 to make the emirate the world's first city to have such a network.

City planning

The city was planned in the 1970s for an estimated maximum population of 600,000. In accordance with what was considered to be ideal urban planning at the time, the city has wide grid-pattern roads, and high-density tower blocks. On the northerly end of the island, where the population density is highest, the main streets are lined with 20- to 30-story towers. Inside this rectangle of towers is a normal grid pattern of roads with lower density buildings (2-story villas or 6-story low-rise buildings).

Abu Dhabi is a modern city with broad boulevards, tall office and apartment buildings, and busy shops. Principal thoroughfares are the Corniche, Airport Road, Sheikh Zayed Street, Hamdan Street and Khalifa Street. Abu Dhabi is known in the region for its greenery; the former desert strip today includes numerous parks and gardens. The design of the inner city roads and main roads are quite organised. Starting from the Corniche, all horizontal streets are oddly and the vertical ones evenly numbered. Thus, the Corniche is Street #1, Khalifa is Street #3, Hamdan is Street #5, and so on. Conversely, Salam Street is St #8.

Mail is generally delivered to post-office boxes only; however, there is door-to-door delivery for commercial organizations. There are many parks throughout the city. Entrance is usually free for children, however there is often an entrance fee for adults. The Corniche, the city's seaside promenade, is about in length, with gardens, playgrounds, and a BMX/skateboard ring.

In 2007 the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) was established, which is the agency responsible for the future of Abu Dhabi’s urban environments and the expert authority behind the visionary Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 Urban Structure Framework Plan that was published in September 2007. The UPC is also working on similar plans for the regions of Al-Ain and Al-Gharbia.

Because of the rapid development of Abu Dhabi, a number of challenges to the city's urban organization have developed, among them:

Today, the city's population far surpasses the original estimated maximum population when it was designed. This causes traffic congestion, a shortage of car parking spaces, and overcrowding.

Although there is an addressing system for the city, it is not widely used, causing problems in describing building locations. Directions must often be given based on nearby landmarks.

Demographics

According to the Abu Dhabi Department of Planning and Economy, in 2006 the population of the emirate was 1,463,491.

As the emirate covers , nearly 87% of the UAE, the population density is .

Abu Dhabi also ranks as the 26th most expensive city in the world, and the second most in the region behind Dubai.

As of 2001, 25.6% of the population of the emirate was made up of UAE nationals. Approximately 74.4% of the population was expatriates. The median age in the emirate was about 30.1 years. The crude birth rate, as of 2005, was 13.6%, while the crude death rate was about 2%.

Article 7 of the UAE's Provisional Constitution declares Islam the official state religion of the UAE. The government subsidizes almost 95% of mosques and employs all imams.

The majority of the inhabitants of Abu Dhabi are expatriate workers from India, Pakistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Philippines, the United Kingdom and various countries from across the Arab world. Consequently, English, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Somali, Tigrinya, Amharic and Bengali are widely spoken. Apart from Urdu and Hindi spoken by Indians and Pakistanis, many South Asian expatriates also contribute other South Asian languages to the cultural milieu, including Malayalam, the main language spoken in the state of Kerala.

The native-born population are Arabic-speaking Gulf Arabs who are part of a clan-based society. The Al Nahyan family, part of the al-Falah branch of the Bani Yas clan, rules the emirate and has a central place in society.

Transportation

Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) is the city's main aviation hub and the second busiest airport in the UAE, serving 9.02 million passengers in 2008, up 30.2% on 2007. Its terminal spaces are dominated by Etihad Airways which is the UAE's national carrier and the country's second largest airline. A new terminal opened in 2009 with total capacity reaching 12 million passengers per annum by 2011. Development work has also started on a new passenger terminal, to be situated between the two runways and known as the Midfield Terminal. The new mega-midfield terminal complex will be capable of handling an additional 20 million passengers a year initially and then later, as Abu Dhabi develops as a major Middle East transport hub, up to 50 million passengers a year, thus providing a major competition to Dubai International Airport. The terminal will initially include 42 gates, rising to more than 90 gates on completion of the airport.

Public transport systems in Abu Dhabi include the Abu Dhabi public buses, taxis, ferries, and airplanes. White-and-mustard metered taxis traverse most of the city in UAE. Currently newer silver-colored taxis are coming in, while the old mustard-colored ones are being phased out. Abu Dhabi has about 8,000 old bronze/yellow/gold & white taxis, which will be phased out from 2008 to 2010.

The first town bus entered service in about 1969 but this was all part of a very informal service. On 30 June 2008 the Department of Transport began public bus service in Abu Dhabi with four routes. In an attempt to entice people to use the bus system, all routes were zero-fare until the end of 2008. The four routes, which operate between 6 am and midnight every day, run at a frequency of 10 to 20 minutes. Within the first week of service, the bus network had seen high ridership. Some of the buses, which have a maximum capacity of 45 passengers, only had room for standing left. Some bus drivers reported as many as 100 passengers on a bus at one time. Although the new, zero-fare bus service has been a success, many taxi drivers are losing business. Taxi drivers have seen a considerable decrease in the demand for taxis while lines were forming for the buses. The service steadily expanded and by the end of 2008, 230 buses were in service. In 2009, the Department of Transport plans to have 21 bus routes in the city, operated by 820 buses. A total of 1,360 buses are expected to be in operation by 2010.

A massive expansion of public transport is anticipated within the framework of the government's Surface Transport Master Plan 2030. The expansion is expected to see of metro and of tramways and/or bus rapid transit (BRT) routes.

Culture

Abu Dhabi has a diverse and multicultural society. The city's cultural imprint as a small, ethnically homogenous pearling community was changed with the arrival of other ethnic groups and nationals — first by the Iranians in the early 1900s, and later by Indians and Pakistanis in the 1960s. Abu Dhabi has been criticized for perpetuating a class-based society, where migrant workers are in the lower classes. Despite the diversity of the population, only minor and infrequent episodes of ethnic tensions, primarily between expatriates, have been reported in the city. Major holidays in Abu Dhabi include ''Eid al Fitr'', which marks the end of ''Ramadan'', Eid ul-Adha which marks the end of Hajj, and National Day (2 December), which marks the formation of the United Arab Emirates.

This unique socioeconomic development in the Persian Gulf has meant that Abu Dhabi is generally more tolerant than its neighbours. While Islam is the main religion, Emaritis have been known for their tolerance; Christian churches, Hindu temples, and Sikh gurdwaras can be found alongside mosques. The country is home to several communities that have faced persecution elsewhere. The cosmopolitan atmosphere is gradually growing and as a result, there are a variety of Asian and Western schools, cultural centers and themed restaurants.

Abu Dhabi is home to a number of cultural institutions including the Cultural Foundation and the National Theater. The Cultural Foundation, while closed for reconstruction as of spring 2011, is home to the UAE Public Library and Cultural Center. Various cultural societies such as the Abu Dhabi Classical Music Society have a strong and visible following in the city. The recently launched Emirates Foundation offers grants in support of the arts, as well as to advance science and technology, education, environmental protection and social development. The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) will be based in Abu Dhabi. The city also stages hundreds of conferences and exhibitions each year in its state-of-the-art venues, including the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) which is the Persian Gulf's largest exhibition center and welcomes around 1.8 million visitors every year.

The Red Bull Air Race World Series has been a spectacular sporting staple for the city for many years, bringing tens of thousands to the waterfront. Another major event is the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC).

The diversity of cuisine in Abu Dhabi is a reflection of the cosmopolitan nature of the society. Arab food is very popular and is available everywhere in the city, from the small shawarma to the upscale restaurants in the city's many hotels. Fast food and South Asian cuisine are also very popular and are widely available. The sale and consumption of pork, though not illegal, is regulated and it is sold only to non-Muslims in designated areas. Similarly, the sale of alcoholic beverages is regulated. A liquor permit is required to purchase alcohol; however, alcohol is available in bars and restaurants within four or five star hotels but is not sold as widely as in its liberal neighbour Dubai. ''Shisha'' and ''qahwa'' boutiques are also popular in Abu Dhabi.

Poetry in Abu Dhabi and the UAE is highly regarded and often is centric around the themes of satire, religion, family, chivalry and love. According to an article from an Abu Dhabi tourism page, sheikhs, teachers, sailors and princes make a large bulk of the poets within the UAE. A unique form of poetry to the UAE was formed in the 8th century by Al Khalil bin Ahmed and it was written in 16 meters. The first known poet from the UAE, Ibn Majid, was born sometime between 1432 and 1437 in Ras Al Khaimah. According to the tourism page Majid came from a family of sailors and 40 of his works have survived. Another Emeriti poet, Ibn Daher is from the 17th century. Daher is important because he used Nabati poetry (AKA Bedouin poetry), poetry written in the vernacular instead of the classical/religious Arabic. Other important poets from the UAE are Mubarak Al Oqaili (1880–1954), Salem bin Ali al Owais (1887–1959) and Ahmed bin Sulayem (1905–1976). These poets made headway in the field of Classical Arabic poetry as opposed to the Nabati poetry of the 17th century.

One of Ibn Masjid’s most prominent works is a book called, Kitab al-Fawa’id fi Usul ‘Ilm al-Bahr wa ’l-Qawa’id (Book of Useful Information on the Principles and Rules of Navigation), and it was written in 1490. This book is effectually an encyclopedia about navigation and sailing in and around the Indian Ocean. Masjid also goes into detail about the intricacies and technologies of the Arab sailing techniques. An excerpt from his book is as follows:

Today in Abu Dhabi there is a group called the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation that works to preserve the art and culture of the city. According to an article from the English Pen Atlas Al jawaher wal la'li was the first manuscript to come out of the UAE. According to another article this book was written in the 1990s and was banned in the city for some time for making accusations about the ruling family.

Education

Abu Dhabi is home to several international and local private schools and universities, including government-sponsored United Arab Emirates University in Al-Ain, Higher Colleges of Technology and New York Film Academy, Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi University in Abu Dhabi. These boast several languages that make up the population of the city. A large number of schools target the expatriate population by following the same syllabi as in their native countries. For e.g.: The Abu Dhabi Indian School follows the CBSE Indian syllabus. INSEAD, the prestigious international business school, has established a campus in February 2010, offering an Executive MBA and executive education courses. New York University opened a government-sponsored satellite campus in Abu Dhabi in September 2010.

Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) maintains a comprehensive after-school program for interested and talented Jiu-Jitsu students. The Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Schools Program began in 2008 under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, who is a keen Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor. The program launched in 14 schools for pupils in grades 6 and 7, and has since expanded to 42 government schools, with 81 Brazilian coaches brought in as instructors.

The students aged from 9 to 13 years old are taught Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as part of the curriculum. The plan is for up to 500 schools to be participating in the School-Jitsu program by 2015. The project was set up by special request of HH Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the head coach of the Emirates Jiu-jitsu team Carlos Santos, now also the managing director of the School-Jitsu Project.

Abu Dhabi provides a free scholarship program to students through The Petroleum Institute.www.pi.ac.ae. It is considered one of the best engineering colleges in UAE. It is being launched by ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) and offers degrees in Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, Petroleum, Reservoir and other engineering sectors. A notable aspect of the Petroleum Institute is that after graduation, they trained their students on their petroleum rigs provided them jobs in oil companies. The Petroleum Institute is one of the few higher education Institutions to offer students such job security. Every year in the season of admissions an exhibition is launched in Abu Dhabi Exhibition Center under the supervision of the government.Universities from every corner of the world exhibit their career programs and scholarship programs for globally bright students.This seems to be a well defined platform for the students of all nationalities.Univrsity of Heriot Watt,University of Bolton,Cambridge university,Oxford university,The Petroluem institute,Khalifa University and Abu dhabi University.

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Abu Dhabi is twinned with:

	Bethlehem, Palestinian National Authority>Palestinian Authority	* Madrid, Spain ''(2007)''	* Houston, Texas, United States ''(2002)''		Brisbane, Australia ''(since 2009)''	* Islamabad, Pakistan	* Minsk, Belarus ''(since 2007)''		* Nicosia, Cyprus ''(since 2004)''	* Iquique, Chile	* Roskilde, Denmark ''(since 2011)''

See also

Abu Dhabi International Airport

Al-Ain

Aldar headquarters

Department of Municipal Affairs, Abu Dhabi Department of Municipal Affairs.

Dubai

Dubai-Abu Dhabi Highway

Marawah

Postage stamps and postal history of Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Zayed Mosque

National Center for Documentation and Research

References

External links

Municipality of Abu Dhabi City

Abu Dhabi information portal, abudhabi.ae

Department of Municipal Affairs Portal, abudhabi.ae

Abu Dhabi City Bus Route, wikitravel.org

2030 transport master plan, dot.abudhabi.ae

Category:Capitals in Asia Category:Metropolitan areas of the United Arab Emirates Category:Populated coastal places in the United Arab Emirates Category:Populated places in the United Arab Emirates

af:Aboe Dhabi am:አቡ ዳቢ ang:Abu Dhabi ar:أبوظبي roa-rup:Abu Dhabi frp:Abou Dabi (vela) bn:আবুধাবি bjn:Abu Dhabi zh-min-nan:Abu Dhabi be:Горад Абу-Дабі be-x-old:Абу Дабі bcl:Abu Dhabi bo:ཨ་པོའུ་དྷ་པེ། bs:Abu Dabi (grad) br:Abu Dhabi bg:Абу Даби ca:Abu Dhabi (ciutat) cs:Abú Dhabí cy:Abu Dhabi da:Abu Dhabi de:Abu Dhabi et:Abu Dhabi el:Αμπού Ντάμπι es:Abu Dabi eo:Abu-Dabio eu:Abu Dhabi fa:ابوظبی hif:Abu Dhabi fr:Abou Dabi (ville) fy:Abû Daby gd:Abu Dhabi ko:아부다비 hy:Աբու Դաբի hi:अबू धाबी hr:Abu Dhabi io:Abu Dhabi id:Abu Dhabi ie:Abu Dhabi os:Абу-Даби is:Abú Dabí it:Abu Dhabi he:אבו דאבי jv:Abu Dhabi kn:ಅಬು ಧಾಬಿ ka:აბუ-ზაბი kk:Абу-Даби (қала) sw:Abu Dhabi ht:Abou Dabi lv:Abū Dabī lb:Abu Dhabi lt:Abu Dabis lmo:Abu Dhabi (cità) hu:Abu-Dzabi mk:Абу Даби ml:അബുദാബി mr:अबु धाबी ms:Abu Dhabi mn:Абу Даби my:အဘူဒါဘီမြို့ nl:Abu Dhabi (stad) ja:アブダビ no:Abu Dhabi (by) nn:Abu Dhabi nov:Abu Dabi pnb:ابوظہبی (امارت) pms:Abu Dhabi pl:Abu Zabi (miasto) pt:Abu Dhabi ro:Abu Dhabi ru:Абу-Даби sah:Абу Даби sco:Abu Dhabi sq:Abu Dabi scn:Abu Dhabi simple:Abu Dhabi sk:Abú Zabí (mesto) sl:Abu Dabi ckb:ئەبووزەبی sr:Абу Даби fi:Abu Dhabi sv:Abu Dhabi tl:Abu Dhabi ta:அபுதாபி (நகரம்) tt:Әбү-Дәби шәһәре th:อาบูดาบี tg:Абу Даби tr:Abu Dabi uk:Абу-Дабі ur:ابوظہبی vi:Abu Dhabi vo:Äbu Saby fiu-vro:Abu Dhabi war:Abu Dhabi yo:Abu Dhabi bat-smg:Abo Dabis zh:阿布扎比

name	Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan
title	Emir (Prince) and Hakim (Ruler) of Abu Dhabi and Rais (President) of the United Arab Emirates
reign	6 August 1966 – 2 November 2004
othertitles	''His Highness'' Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Past President of the United Arab EmiratesRuler of Abu Dhabi
full name	Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan
predecessor	Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan
successor	Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
spouse 1	Sheikha Hassa bint Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan
spouse 2	Sheikha Sheikha bint Ma'dhad Al Mashghouni
spouse 3	Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi
spouse 4	Sheikha Mouza bint Suhail bin Awaidah Al Khaili
spouse 5	Sheikha Ayesha bint Ali Al Darmaki
spouse 6	Sheikha Amna Al Darmaki
royal house	House of Al Nahyan
father	Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan
birth date	1918
birth place	In Al Ain,
death date	2 November 2004 (aged 86)
death place	In Abu Dhabi
date of burial	3 November 2004 (aged 86)
place of burial	Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi
religion	Muslim

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ()‎, (1918 – 2 November 2004), the principal driving force behind the formation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was the ruler of Abu Dhabi and first president of the UAE, a post which he held for over 30 years (1971–2004).

Early life

Zayed was the youngest son of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, the traditional ruler of Abu Dhabi from 1922 until his assassination in 1926. Zayed was named after his famous grandfather, Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan ("Zayed the Great"), who ruled the emirate from 1855 to 1909. His eldest brother, Sheikh Shakhbut Bin-Sultan Al Nahyan, became ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1928 after their uncle, Saqr bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was also assassinated. Zayed's mother, Sheikha Salaamah, extracted a promise from her sons not to use violence against each other, a promise which they kept.

At the time of Zayed's birth, the sheikhdom of Abu Dhabi was one of seven Trucial States along the coast of the lower coast of the Persian Gulf. These territories were in treaty relations with Britain, their rulers having signed a series of maritime truces with the British in the 19th century.

As Zayed was growing up, there were no modern schools anywhere along the coast. He received only a basic instruction in the principles of Islam, and lived in the desert with Bedouin tribesmen, familiarising himself with the life of the people, their traditional skills and their ability to survive under the harsh climatic conditions.

Zayed was appointed the governor of the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi in 1946 and was based in the Muqaiji fort in Al Ain. At this time, the area was poor and prone to outbreaks of disease. When survey parties from Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) began exploring for oil in the area, Zayed assisted them.

In 1952, a small Saudi Arabian force led by Turki bin Abdullah al-Otaishan occupied the village of Hamasa in the Buraimi Oasis (the so-called Buraimi dispute). Zayed was prominent in his opposition to Saudi territorial claims and reportedly rejected a bribe of about £30 million to allow Aramco to explore for oil in the disputed territory. As part of this dispute, Zayed and his brother Hazza attended the Buraimi arbitration tribunal in Geneva in September 1955 and gave evidence to tribual members. When the tribunal was abandoned amid allegations of Saudi bribery, the British initiated the reoccupation of the Buraimi Oasis through a local military force, the Trucial Oman Levies. A period of stability followed during which Zayed helped to develop the region and took a particular interest in the restoration of the ''falaj'' system, a network of water channels which kept the plantations of the Buraimi Oasis irrigated and fertile.

The discovery of oil in 1958, and the start of oil exports in 1962, led to frustration among members of the ruling family about the lack of progress under Sheikh Shakhbut’s rule. On 6 August 1966 Shakhbut was deposed in a bloodless palace coup. In 1971, after occasionally difficult negotiations with the other six rulers of the Trucial States, the United Arab Emirates came into being. Zayed was appointed to the presidency of the UAE in 1971 and was reappointed on four more occasions: 1976, 1981, 1986, and 1991.

In 1974, Zayed apparently settled the outstanding border dispute with Saudi Arabia by the Treaty of Jeddah by which Saudi Arabia received the output of the Shaybah oilfield and access to the lower Persian Gulf in return for recognising the UAE. He was considered a relatively liberal ruler, and permitted private media. However, they were expected to practice self-censorship and avoid criticism of Zayed or the ruling families. Freedom of worship was permitted, and to a certain extent allowances were made for expatriate cultures, but this did not always sit comfortably in the eyes of the wider Arab world with Zayed's role as a Muslim head of state.

Attitudes

His religious tolerance of Christians and the freedom given Western workers sojourning in the UAE was in marked contrast to most neighbors in the region and exposed him to criticism from other more conservative nations. Sheikh Zayed was respected around the world for his unifying influence and his drive to make the Emirates one nation. His calls for cooperation extended across Persian Gulf to Iran. Sheikh Zayed advocated dialogue as the means to settle the row with Tehran over three strategic Persian Gulf islands which Iran seized from the (future) UAE Emirate of Sharjah in 1971, though the islands remain in Iranian hands, despite over three decades of UAE diplomatic initiatives.

Zayed did not shy away from controversy when it came to expressing his opinion on current events in the Arab world. Troubled by the suffering of Iraqi civilians, or perhaps for other reasons, he took the lead in calling for lifting sanctions on Iraq imposed by the United Nations in the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, despite Kuwaiti displeasure and opposition.

Zayed was considered one of the wealthiest men in the world. A Forbes magazine estimate put his fortune at around USD billion. The source of this wealth could be almost exclusively attributed to the immense oil wealth of Abu Dhabi and the Emirates, which sit on a pool of a tenth of the world's proven oil reserves. Nevertheless he chose to live a relatively modest and traditional lifestyle, riding and hunting with falcons, though he gave up hunting with firearms, a sport at which he excelled, to set an example for wildlife conservation in his fragile desert homeland. He was personally popular, and was regarded to be considerably pious in his religious observances.

Policies and charity

At the time the British withdrew from the Persian Gulf in 1971, Zayed oversaw the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Arab Economic Development; through its oil riches were channeled to some forty less fortunate Islamic nations in Asia and Africa during the decades that followed. He is also remembered as "the man who turned the desert green," because he invested oil revenues into projects to improve the harsh desert environment.

Using the country's enormous oil revenues, Zayed built up institutions such as hospitals, schools and universities and made it possible for UAE citizens to enjoy free access to them. He also decreed that the State would undertake the cost of foreign health care for those families unable to afford it. Other charitable acts included adopting hundreds of orphans and building several hospitals abroad in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

When asked by the New York Times in April 1997 why there is no elected parliamentary democracy, Zayed replied,

“Why should we abandon a system that satisfies our people in order to introduce a system that seems to engender dissent and confrontation? Our system of government is based upon our religion and that is what our people want. Should they seek alternatives, we are ready to listen to them. We have always said that our people should voice their demands openly. We are all in the same boat, and they are both the captain and the crew. Our doors are open for any opinion to be expressed, and this well known by all our citizens. It is our deep conviction that Allah has created people free, and has prescribed that each individual must enjoy freedom of choice. No one should act as if they own others. Those in the position of leadership should deal with their subjects with compassion and understanding, because this is the duty enjoined upon them by Allah, who enjoins upon us to treat all living creatures with dignity. How can there be anything less for mankind, created as Allah's vicegerent (khalif or Caliphate) on earth? Our system of government does not derive its authority from man, but is enshrined in our religion and is based on Allah's Book, the Quran. What need have we of what others have conjured up? Its teachings are eternal and complete, while the systems conjured up by man are transitory and incomplete.”

Land was also often distributed gratis. However, whilst this policy benefited many landless families, enormously wealthy clans and individuals were given free land grants in proportion to their status and influence with the royal family. His majlis (a traditional Arab consultation council) was open to the public, and as well as discussing national and personal issues, he enjoyed hearing people's opinions on poetry, as well as recitals by new and young poets. His tolerance towards other people and their faiths was evident, and he allowed the building of religious buildings such as churches and temples. This action in particular helped his image with the vast multitudes of expatriate workers who make up approximately three quarters of the population of the UAE. Zayed was also an advocate for the education and participation of women in the work force, within traditional parameters. His views regarding women's rights were considerably more liberal than his contemporaries in the GCC nations.

Collapse of BCCI

In 1972, Agha Hasan Abedi, a Pakistani banker who had set up a new bank called Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), approached Zayed for investment. Abedi had previously set up the United Bank of Pakistan in 1959, which became a leading nationalized bank in 1971. Zayed fronted the majority of the investment for the BCCI. Bank of America (25%) and the CIA allegedly invested, too. It is claimed that the CIA was seeking a funding route for the mujahideen in Afghanistan, similar to the Investors Overseas Service and the Nugen Hand Bank in the 1960s.

By 1977, the bank was almost insolvent. It took on the attributes of a Ponzi scheme, as it funded its operating expenses by deposits it received, rather than by returns from investments it made. In eight years, it reported assets of over $4 billion with over 150 branches in 46 countries. Bank of America reduced its shares, while holding companies in Abu Dhabi took on a controlling block.

In 1990, an audit of the BCCI by Price Waterhouse revealed an unaccountable loss of hundreds of millions of dollars. The bank approached Sheikh Zayed, who funded the loss in exchange for increasing his share to 78% of the bank. The bank was shut down in 1991 by the Bank of England. At the time Zayed's shareholding was 77%.

In December 1991, further investigation found layers of criminal activity taking place through the bank. The law enforcement in the U.S. established the BCCI as an organized crime syndicate. Although Sheikh Zayed was not directly mentioned during interrogations, other family members were implicated in the criminal activity tied to the bank. The investigation found evidence of bribery, money laundering, arms trafficking, prostitution, and support of terrorism. See: CIA Reading Room Document of William Kerr dated October 25, 1991 for details of Iran Contra and ElSalvador links.

Zayed Center

Controversy over the opinions of the Zayed Center caused the Harvard Divinity School to return Sheikh Zayed's $2.5 million gift to the institution in 2000 as "tainted money." Former United States president Jimmy Carter accepted the Zayed International Prize for the Environment, 2001. The award included a monetary prize of $500,000 from the Zayed Center, and Carter stated in his acceptance that this award meant a lot to him, since it was named after his personal friend, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan.

There was similar controversy when the London School of Economics accepted a large donation by the Zayed Center, to build a new lecture theatre in the New Academic Building in 2008. Despite student protests, the gift was accepted with the Sheik Zayed Theatre being the second largest lecture hall on the campus.

Harvard's equivocation, the Carter controversy, and the engendering negative publicity, prompted Sheikh Zayed to shut down the center in August 2003, saying that the Zayed Center "had engaged in a discourse that starkly contradicted the principles of interfaith tolerance."

Final years

In 1999, while he was in a hospital for some tests, the people of the UAE wrote him a personal thank-you letter with 1.5 million signatures. He underwent a kidney transplant in 2000 at the Cleveland Clinic in the U.S.

On 2 November 2004, Zayed died, as announced by Abu Dhabi TV. He was believed to be 86 years old. however he had recently been in London undergoing hospital treatment. He is buried in the courtyard of the new Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

His eldest son, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, born in 1948, took an increasing role in the government from the 1990s; he was ratified as the Ruler of the United Arab Emirates by his fellow rulers on the Supreme Council directly after his father's death.

Shaikh Zayed International Airport located at Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan is named in his honor.

Children

With Sheikha Hassa bint Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan

*Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1948)

With Sheikha Sheikha bint Ma'dhad Al Mashghouni

*Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1953)

With Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi

*Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

*Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1963)

*Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1965)

*Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan

*Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1970)

*Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1972)

*Alyazia bint Zayed Al Nahyan

*Shamma bint Zayed Al Nahyan

With Sheikha Mouza bint Suhail bin Awaidah Al Khaili

*Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan

*Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (1968–2010)

*Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

*Omar bin Zayed Al Nahyan

*Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan

*Shamsa bint Zayed Al Nahyan

*Afra bint Zayed Al Nahyan

With Sheikha Ayesha Al Darmaki

*Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (born 1966)

*Falah bin Zayed Al Nahyan

*Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan

*Diab bin Zayed Al Nahyan

*Latifa bint Zayed Al Nahyan

*Mouza bint Zayed Al Nahyan

*Wadeema bint Zayed Al Nahyan

*a Sheikha (Princess)

With Sheikha Amna Al Darmaki

*Issa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

*Nasser bin Zayed Al Nahyan (1967–2008)

See also

Champions of the Earth, 2005 award by United Nations Environment Programme

Sheikh Zayed lecture theatre, in the London School of Economics

References

External links

Sheikh Zayed's website

CooperativeResearch - Zayid bin Sultan Al Nahyan

Official UAE tribute to Sheikh Zayed

Biography at Brazil Embassy

Nahyan Category:United Arab Emirati politicians Category:1918 births Category:2004 deaths Category:Sheikhs of Abu Dhabi Category:United Arab Emirati Sunni Muslims Category:United Arab Emirati billionaires Category:House of Al Nahyan

ar:زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان be:Зайд ібн Султан ан-Нахаян be-x-old:Зайд ібн Султан ан-Нахаян ca:Zayed II bin Sultan Al Nahayan de:Zayid bin Sultan Al Nahyan es:Zayed ibn Sultán Al Nahayan eo:Zajid bin Sultan al Nahajjan fa:زاید بن سلطان آل نهیان fr:Zayed ben Sultan Al Nahyane hy:Զաիդ բին Սուլթան Ալ-Նախայան it:Zayd bin Sultan Al Nahyan he:זאיד בן סולטאן אאל נהיאן ms:Syeikh Zayid bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan nl:Zayid bin Sultan al Nuhayyan ja:ザーイド・ビン＝スルターン・アール＝ナヒヤーン no:Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan pl:Zaid ibn Sultan an-Nahajan pt:Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan ru:Зайд ибн Султан ан-Нахайян fi:Zayid ibn Sultan Al Nahyan ta:சேக் சயத் பின் சுல்தான் அல் நகியான் tr:Şeyh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan uk:Заїд бін Султан Аль Нахайян zh:扎耶德·本·蘇爾坦·阿勒納哈揚

Mohamed Ahmed (, ''Muhammad Ahmad'') (July 2, 1917 January 27, 1984) was a Comorian politician. He was born in Mutsamudu on the island of Anjouan. During the 1950s, he became one of the most important non-French political leaders in the Comoros, and served as vice-president of the government council from 1957 until 1962. After this he became less influential until after Comoros became an independent nation in 1975. Ahmed was a strong supporter of the May 1978 coup in which Ali Soilih was overthrown. He became a co-chairman of a directorate which took charge of the government, but lost this position in October 1978 as the other co-chairman, Ahmed Abdallah took complete power.

Category:1917 births Category:1984 deaths Category:Presidents of Comoros Category:People from Anjouan

el:Μοχάμετ Αχμέτ yo:Mohamed Ahmed