The largest of the seven emirates that comprise the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi has been continuously inhabited for more than 5,000 years. Before the discovery of oil, the emirate was populated largely by semi-nomadic Bedouin tribesmen who pursued seasonal work, most notably pearling and date farming. However, following the discovery of oil in 1958, Abu Dhabi began its transformation from provisional fishing town to modern business metropolis.

Abu Dhabi has been the capital of the UAE since the country’s founding in 1971, when the former

Trucial States combined to form the UAE under the guidance of H.H. the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, then-Ruler of Abu Dhabi and the country’s first President.

Through visionary leadership that encouraged an open business climate, welcomed people from all over the world and nurtured a cosmopolitan culture of tolerance, the UAE has prospered to become one of the wealthiest countries in the world on a per capital basis.