[9] The area surrounding Abu Dhabi abounds in archaeological evidence from historical civilisations, such as the Umm Al Nar Culture, which dates back to the third millennium BC.

This union was marked by the establishment of a federal government and the appointment of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as the first President of the UAE.

In 1793, the ruling Al Bu Falah subsection migrated to the island of Abu Dhabi on the coast of the Persian Gulf due to the discovery of fresh water there.

Following their withdrawal from India in the year 1947, the British maintained their influence in Abu Dhabi as interest in the oil potential of the Persian Gulf grew.

[49] Other notable modern buildings include the Aldar Headquarters, the first circular skyscraper in the middle east[50] and the Emirates Palace with its design inspired by Arab heritage.

Its construction was initiated under the administration of the late President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, a key figure in the foundation of the modern United Arab Emirates.

[63] In September 2019, the construction of UAE's first official synagogue was announced to begin in 2020, as a part of the multi-faith "Abrahamic Family House" complex in Abu Dhabi.

[64] On 22 September 2019, the Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi held a ceremony to grant licenses to 17 churches and the first-ever traditional Hindu temple.

It is where the visitors will notice the art Talli, a traditional form of decorative embroidery done by women, and the making of Al Sadu patterns which represent symbols of daily life.

[67] 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 92% of gas.

[73] Abu Dhabi's government is looking to expand revenue from oil and gas production to tourism and other things that would attract different types of people.

[72] As of July 2019, Abu Dhabi allocated $163 million to finance global entertainment partners as part of its plan to diversify the economy and wean it off oil.

[82] With falling groundwater level and rising population density, Abu Dhabi faces a severely acute water shortage.

Due to this planning, a modern city with tall offices, apartment buildings, broad boulevards, and busy shops is present.

[95] In 2023, Abu Dhabi was ranked as the safest city in the world for the sixth year running by the statistical analysis website Numbeo.

[103] The majority of the inhabitants of Abu Dhabi are migrant workers from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and various countries from across the Arab world.

[104] Consequently, English, Hindi-Urdu (Hindustani), Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Marathi, Tulu, Somali, Tigrinya, Amharic and Bengali are widely spoken.

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.

[113] On 30 June 2019, the Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi officially inaugurated a multi-faith prayer room at Zayed International Airport.

The airport underwent renovation and expansion in 2022 to accommodate twin-aisle jets and resumed operation to private, business, and VIP traffic in addition to hosting an Abu Dhabi Police search and rescue base.

Passenger traffic has been confirmed and will allow for travel from Abu Dhabi city to other emirates on the network, however no date on commencement of operation has been set.

[6][7] During October 2023, the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) launched the ART Service on mainland Abu Dhabi as a pilot phase as part of the Smart Mobility project.

Abu Dhabi has been criticised for perpetuating a class-based society, where migrant workers are in the lower classes, and suffer abuse which "is endemic to the system".

[132] This unique socioeconomic development in the Persian Gulf has meant that Abu Dhabi is generally more tolerant than its neighbours, including Saudi Arabia.

The recently launched Emirates Foundation offers grants in support of the arts and to advance science and technology, education, environmental protection, and social development.

[135] 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.

According to an article from an Abu Dhabi tourism page, sheikhs, teachers, sailors, and princes make up a large bulk of the poets within the UAE.

In October 2019, Abu Dhabi announced the world's first graduate-level AI research institution, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).

[148] The Abu Dhabi Jiujitsu Schools Program began in 2008 under the patronage of crown prince (now President) Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a keen Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor.

The official World Games Flame of Hope was lit in Athens and flown to Abu Dhabi, where it then embarked on the torch run, visiting all seven emirates of the UAE.