Abu Dhabi

A more peaceful city comparing to Dubai..

modern city, hot weather, friendly but mysterious desert, very clean, nice people

Abu Dhabi city is a modern city with broad boulevards, tall office and apartment buildings, and busy shops. Principal thoroughfares are The Corniche, Airport Road, Sheikh Zayed Street, Hamdan Street and Khalifa Street. Many streets are known for specialized businesses that tend to cluster on them. Hamdan Street is the main shopping street, Khalifa Street is lined with banks, Al Najdha Street is known for hardware stores, Defense St is filled with mobile telephone shops and Sheikh Zayed St (Also known as Electra Street) is the computer street.

Abu Dhabi city is known in the region for its greenery; the former desert strip today includes numerous parks and gardens. Key buildings include the Qasr al-Hosn (a.k.a. Old Fort or White Fort), Clock Tower (now demolished due to construction of the new Corniche), headquarters of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and its many operating-company subsidiaries and the Cultural Foundation. The Corniche, which was redeveloped in 2005, is now one of the best sea front parks in the Gulf.
       

The majority of the inhabitants of Abu Dhabi are expatriate workers and professionals from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Philippines, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere. English, Urdu are widely spoken.

The native-born population are Arabic-speaking Gulf Arabs who are part of a clan-based society. The al-Nahyan family, part of the al-Falah branch of the Bani Yas tribe, rules the emirate and has a central place in society.
       

I went to Abu Dhabi, when I was working in Dubai. I just went to checkout the town and find out a little about the job market.

The town is much smaller than Dubai, and has a much more religious atmosphere. There is not much for entertainment, since drinking and loud music is prohibited.

It has much more of the genuine UAE treatment, where locals (UAE passport holders) are much superior to any tourist/expat. For example, if you get into a car accident with a local, it will ALWAYS be your fault, regardless of the situation.

Frankly, I was pretty bored during the day that I was there, but your mileage may vary.