Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven Emirates and the Federal capital of the UAE. It occupies an area of 26,000 square miles. Its long coastline - the shallow waters of the Southern Gulf, extending from the base of the Qatar Peninsula in the west to the border of the emirate of Dubai on the north east, was once the world's best waters for pearling.

Although first settled by tribesmen who found water there, today it is a rather cosmopolitan city, with its bold urban architecture and lush gardens. Outside of Abu Dhabi city, Abu Dhabi Emirate covers more than half of the country, with endless miles of desert stretching into the Empty Quarter, and up to the borders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman.