Abu Dhabi
Cover: The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Abu Dhabi is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. As a capital city, it is an economically and culturally significant metropolis in the region. Be it a Mosques, a Palace or a Hotel, they have one thing in common which is opulent architecture!
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(A) The Sheikh Zayad Grand Mosque (B) Emirates Palace Hotel (C) Qasr Al Watan Presidential Palace (D) Corniche Coastline and Marina (E) Saadiyat Cultural District (F) Yas Island
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Contributor Credits
Thanks to Indira Ramachandra from Bangalore, for the information and pictures she provided in the vegetarian food section that appears after the narrative and pictures from my own Abu Dhabi experiences. With family in Abu Dhabi, Indira has visited Abu Dhabi many times and has tried a wider variety in food there and I did on my short stay.
— Jyothi
Tidbits
Know the Essentials
To get around Abu Dhabi, use well known tour companies like Arabian Adventures, Grayline, Hop on Hop off buses or other local ones based on upon genuine reviews. Or you could use a private car rental company with driver. Another option is to rent a car yourself and drive around, it has got good roads. Right side driving, as in the US.
Most common type of power outlet in Abu Dhabi is Type G and at times Type D. The voltage used is 220-240V, and the frequency is 50Hz.
Currency is the UAE Dirham. You can easily use credit cards everywhere as long as you are aware of any foreign transaction fees charged by your credit card company for its use.
While the native language is Arabic, English is well understood and spoken.
Be mindful of cultural customs. Some places require you to cover your head and arms up to your wrist, so go prepared.
Check out what to wear for the weather and being culturally appropriate in certain places.
Trip Experiences
Abu Dhabi is interesting for several reasons. It has a rich culture and heritage while also embracing modernity. One can experience its cultural and traditional and cultural side and also see its modern side, be it via its architecture or experiences. Considering it is a desert, it is rather surprising that it has a coastline and mangroves that bring in natural elements.
In my own experience, I was lucky enough to be hosted by a local and with him I visited several attractions in one day, the main ones being the grand mosque, the Emirates hotels and the Presidential palace. I did not do much outdoors due to the intense summer heat but did drive through the Saadiyat district and the Corniche beach. For most people. especially if you like to visit museums, I would recommend a 3-day trip.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of the largest in the world and a showcase of Islamic architecture. Stunning white marble exterior, inlays, and beautiful chandeliers. Women need to head cover their head with no hair visible, and wear and attire that covers the body all the way down to the feet. The hands need to be covered to the wrist. While I almost had it right, I was told that my hands were not entirely covered till the wrist though I had on 3/4th sleeves! I ended up purchasing handwear that are like open ended socks. I bought something for 10 dirham that matched the color of my dress :-). It was the month of July and I felt incredibly hot in 100 deg F temps.
The mosque is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father and first president of the United Arab Emirates. He envisioned the mosque as a symbol of Islamic and Emirati culture and a place of tolerance, interfaith dialogue, understanding and peaceful coexistence. It has a ‘Tolerance Pathway’ which shows various world leaders, religious leaders et al having visited it.
It is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. The mosque’s exterior is made of gleaming white marble, while the interior is adorned with intricate floral patterns, calligraphy, and traditional Islamic motifs. The mosque has 82 white marble domes and four minarets. It houses one of the world’s largest chandeliers, made of Swarovski crystals, hanging from the central dome. A couple of other features worth a mention are the meaning of the prayer clocks and floral chandeliers. The analog hands indicate the current time and the digital displays indicate prayer times. Each prayer time has a name such as Dhuhr, Asr etc. The floral chandeliers, flowers from the middle eastern desert, and the northern and southern hemispheres are meant to convey a unifying message. The main prayer hall has a Qibla wall which faces the holy city of Mecca and is also the direction of prayer. The many qualities of Allah are written on the flowers that adorn this wall.
The Emirates Palace Hotel
The Emirates Palace is a luxurious hotel speaks of grandeur. You do not need to be a hotel guest to tour its vast lobby and the outside. You can visit one of its restaurants and also get a traditional afternoon tea.
Qasr Al Watan Presidential Palace
Qasr Al Watan, the Presidential Palace of the UAE or Palace of the Nation, is a working palace and serves as a venue for official state events and important meetings hosted by the UAE. It houses many of the formal offices of the government. This cultural landmark architecture is a blend of traditional Islamic design and modern. The palace allows visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the country’s heritage, knowledge, and international relations. There is a huge banquet hall to entertain dignitaries. Opulent interiors, meeting rooms and banquet halls for dignitaries, descriptions and artifacts that showcase the achievements of this region over time, like astronomy and geometry, a section talking of travels and the Arabian nights, a library and so on.
The sections describing accomplishments in music, story writing, geometry, astronomy and travel over times, was very interesting to me. Who hasn’t grown up reading the 1001 stories of The Arabian Nights?! It has captivated our imagination as children as we read and re-read the fabled Sindbad the sailor, Aladdin and the magic lamp, Alibaba and the forty thieves and many more. There is also a vast library with an extensive collection of books.
Other than the attractions described, one cab visit these below while in Abu Dhabi:
- Yas Island: A popular entertainment destination, and is home to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, a amusement park, Yas Waterworld, a water park with exciting slides and rides, and Yas Marina Circuit, where you can experience the thrill of driving on a Formula 1 track. Yas Marina has upscale restaurants, bars, and lounges.
- Corniche Beach: Stretching along the waterfront, Corniche Beach is a public beach with white sand. It offers views of the city skyline and is a great place to relax.
- Saadiyat Cultural District: This cultural hub is home to museums like the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (upcoming), and the Zayed National Museum (upcoming). It aims to promote art, culture, and education.
- Mangrove National Park: Here one can explore the mangroves by kayak or on a guided boat tour, and spot various bird species, including flamingos.
Vegetarian Food in Abu Dhabi
While Middle Eastern cuisine traditionally includes meat, you can still find numerous vegetarian options in Abu Dhabi. Common vegetarian dishes are Falafel, Hummus, Tabouleh, Fattoush etc. Also commonly found are Indian Cuisine, Mediterranean and Lebanese Cuisine. Here is a page on Abu Dhabi’s traditional food, most of which is meat and fish-based. As you will see on this list, the vegetarian items are more on the sweeter side.
My friend Indira Ramachandra writes, “Most Mediterranean restaurants have a good choice of vegetarian food. There is a variety of tasty and healthy options are available in most restaurants..
A variety of flat breads are available -Khubz or pita bread, Saj, manakeesh, khamir to mention a few.
Items like Falafels, Fatteh, mujaddara , varieties of hummus, fattoush etc. are all flavourful and yummy”.
These are some of the restaurants she recommends upon a visit to Abu Dhabi.
- Emirates palace mandarin oriental – great ambiance and food.
- Nolu’s – best Afghani cuisine with a Mediterranean twist.
- Desert Lotus for delicious Thai food.
- Hashem – Legendary Jordanian street food restaurant. Good veg and vegan options.
- Rasoi Ghar in YAS mall for the best Indian hospitality and food from Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Kathiawar.
- Amerigos Mexican Bar cum restaurant.
She recommends these local sweets like Kunafa – Traditional middle eastern dessert; and Signature buns from Pappa Roti.
Go to the page on global vegetarian cuisines, you are interested to know more about the above cuisines.
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A very well written piece. When I saw the Palm tree with dates hanging down and protected, I remembered, well this is a “female” tree…
Ha ha! That was a new learning for me that date trees were male and female! I am so thankful that I could see so much of Abu Dhabi because of you.