Abu Dhabi: A garden state in the sand

Although Dubai is the most famous of the emirates, Abu Dhabi is by far the richest member of the UAE and has at times come to the rescue of its neighbor, as it has for the other five emirates.
Yet it is less known regionally and internationally because Dubai has better public relations and access to world press, as well as a more vibrant social life. However, Abu Dhabi has made great progress in the past few years, becoming one of the prominent cities in the region, indeed, the world.
Abu Dhabi was extremely poor before the discovery and exploitation of oil.
The city had only 10,000 natives when I first visited to meet Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan in one of the rarest interviews of all time.
He had already built a small residence after taking over from his brother, Sheikh Shakbout, who would not spend any money on development because he did not believe in it.
Before that, he had been the ruler of an oasis called Al-Ain, about two hours or so from Abu Dhabi, the capital.
Al-Ain means “the eye” in English and Abu Dhabi is translated as the father of the deer or gazelle.
Although of limited means at the time, he was one of the most generous men in the Middle East.
He welcomed almost anybody in need and there were many such people despite the growing strictness of palace staff. On some occasions, I would join him with people from other countries, sitting in the sand drinking tea or “gahwa” (light coffee).
Within a few years, Abu Dhabi became immensely rich and Sheikh Zayed took foreign advice and launched one of the greatest development schemes in the world, stretching from Abu Dhabi to the borders of the sultanate of Oman.
Subsequent visits confirmed my beliefs that the Sheikh intended to create a new state from scratch on a vast scale. The mosque only proves the point. It is perhaps his brightest architectural legacy and it is already quoted as one of the best mosques ever built in the 20th century.
During its construction, 3,000 skilled workers were employed from a dozen countries with high salaries. No money was spared to create one of the best structures in the world. It was the sheikh’s fondest project and he provided all the money that the experts requested to get it completed.
Indeed, the mosque was completed in less than two years and it took a few months to furnish it and pave it with some of the best tiles imported from Italy, among other countries.
In addition to the grand mosque, Abu Dhabi has hundreds of gardens and parks, reflecting Sheikh Zayed's passion and making it one of the greenest small countries in the world despite its desert location.
The moment you enter the city leaving the long stretch of desert dividing it from Dubai, you can see the beginning of a long stretch of greenery, not only in the city, but also all the way to Al-Ain and other cities.
There is regular water supply most of the way, making it one of the few deserts where pure drinking water is available anywhere.
Speaking of water, Abu Dhabi is not exactly a desert where water is at a premium. Water supply is managed by the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Company. As of 2006, it supplied 560 million imperial gallons per day.
The Environmental Agency states that ground water is the most significant source, as well as desalinated potable water and treated sewage effluent.
Were it not for the immense wealth from oil exports, the state would not have afforded so much water production and desalination, which is rising all the time due to increased population density. Each of the 1.6 million people, most of whom are foreigners, use 550 liters per day, with the richer locals using much more than the average resident because of their passion for gardens. With public parks and meridian strips separating highways, these gardens make Abu Dhabi a veritable paradise.
Like the rest of the Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, the country is packed with expatriate workers from India, Pakistan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Arabs countries.
Until recently, the government of Abu Dhabi used to grant nationalities to some Arabs by order of the late Zayed, but has stopped doing so since his death except in very rare cases. I know many of those who hailed from Aden and the rest of south Yemen who automatically got the nationality in the rest of the UAE.
Along with nationality came concomitant benefits like free education and medical care of a very high standard, both inside and outside the country.
I know of an Arab man who is being treated in the United States at state expense while his family is also sustained by the state in full, in addition to all the usual benefits, including a piece of land and money to build himself a villa.