Abu-Dhabi Development UAE - Essay Example

?Abu Dhabi is the capital of United Arab Emirates and the also the second largest the first being Dubai. It generates more than 50 percent of the annual GDP of United Arab Emirates. Abu Dabhi was known for its pearl trade before the discovery of large reserves of oil in 1930s, however today it is a cultural and economic hub in the region. Over the last few years Abu Dhabi has diversified the economic activity through large sums of foreign and local investments in financial services and tourism. As a result Abu Dhabi has attracted a large number of people from all over the world who come and visit Abu Dhabi regularly, whereas many people stay here permanently. The development that took place in Abu Dhabi can be divided into three phases; first being the pre oil era, second phase is of the development that took place after the discovery of oil and the third phase is the recent development in construction which has attracted a large number of people from all over the world (Explorer Publishing, 2007). Abu Dhabi is located on an island in the north of the Persian Gulf and is just 250 meters away from the mainland from the nearest point. A number of bridges, most of which have been constructed recently connect the city with various parts of the country; however a large portion of the area is on the mainland which has a desert and arid climate (Davidson, 2009). Abu Dhabi city is located on the island itself but there are many suburbs on the mainland most of them are residential schemes. The hot and arid climate of the region does not support agriculture and the number of green places in the city has been increased recently through strong efforts of the government and also through the use of technology. It is quite evident that the hot climatic conditions of Abu Dhabi are not good for agriculture and therefore agriculture does not have any role in the development of the city. The major source of income of the city over the last few decades has been the production of oil as it is the largest oil producer in United Arab Emirates and accounts for 9 percent of the total oil reserves of the world. Currently the oil production stands at 2.3 million barrels per day and the government has initiated various projects for increasing the oil production to 3 million barrels per day. The major development that took place in Abu Dhabi was based on these oil reserves, however recently the government of the United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi city has decided to reduce their dependency on the oil sector and have introduced various other programs which include the promotion of real estate and tourism and also the establishment of various industrial zones. The various industrial zones which have been constructed to facilitate the establishment of industry include ICAD I, ICAD II, ICAD III, Al Ain Industrial City (I and II) and also the residential city which has been planned for the workers of these industrial zones. The various facilities which have been provided in these industrial cities include: 1. High quality infrastructure to support the industries which has been planned and constructed in accordance with the international standards and codes. 2. The provision of public utilities in the residential cities which have been established inside these industrial cities and near them. These facilities include cultural centers, business centers, banks, shopping malls and hospitals. 3. Various zones within these industrial cities have been specified for the various types of industries which include light goods industries, wood industries, chemical industries, engineering industries, plastic industries, textile industries, construction materials industries, oil and gas related industries etc. This classification of industries in the industrial cities has led to the formation of clusters of same type of industries within the industrial cities. 4. These industrial cities also provide the industries with various warehouses within the industrial city. These warehouses have been constructed using the latest technology and thus provide industry and goods specific storage to various types of industries. 5. The various government offices which are concerned with industries and commerce have been shifted to these industrial cities for facilitating the execution of paper work required for the running of various industries. 6. Various motorway and highway links have been established between the industrial cities, the ports and the other cities of United Arab Emirates. 7. The most important facility that has been provided as part of the expansion plan for industrial cities is the construction and establishment of residential cities for workers. These facilities have attracted various investors and workers from all over the world and therefore the government has plans to increase the number of industrial cities in the near future. The government is also promoting Tourism and real estate sectors and large projects which include the construction of broad expressways, new airport and architectural landmarks are underway. It is quite evident that the various factors which triggered the development in Abu Dhabi city are not the same as in various American cities which underwent rapid urbanization during the industrial revolution. The main factor behind the growth and development in Abu Dhabi is the discovery of oil and the revenue generated from oil exports is now being invested in other industries as well. However, the recent decentralization and urban sprawl in Abu Dhabi is similar to that in various American cities. Abu Dhabi city was recently designed for a population of 600 000, however it has already surpassed this figure and therefore the central city is facing various problem most notable of which is the traffic congestion and parking problems. The decentralization and urban sprawl has the same reasons as in the various cities of the US. The improved transportation facilities and the problems in the central city have created attraction in the lifestyle of the suburbs. In addition to better residential facilities the expanding city and the establishment of industrial zones in the suburbs provide a very lucrative opportunity for the establishment of industry (Bradley, 2010). The map above shows the expansion of Abu Dhabi city from Abu Dhabi City Island to the new industrial and residential zones in the mainland. The map above shows the expansion of the residential areas in Abu Dhabi city and the increase in the population densities in the various regions of the central city i.e. the island city. The establishment of various industrial zones and residential areas in the suburbs has greatly increased the size of Abu Dhabi city and thus, like all other big cities, it is also facing urban sprawl and the various environmental and planning problems associated with urban sprawl. However the government in Abu Dhabi is trying to minimize the effects of this expansion and possible sprawl through careful planning. The broad expressways connecting various parts of the city which will minimize traffic congestion is one example out of many. Unlike various other cities which are suffering from urban sprawl, Abu Dhabi’s expansion is a planned expansion and the Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 addresses the various possible problems associated with expansion and thus the current traffic congestion and parking issues in the central city are expected to be solved very soon. The developmental stages and the roots of development in Abu Dhabi as compared to various American cities might be different but the problems associated with development and expansions are almost similar. However Abu Dhabi can overcome these problems in a better and effective way because of planning and the large sums of investments and funding available for large scale infrastructure and developmental projects. References Bradley, C. (2010). Abu Dhabi. Brelitz International Incorporated. Davidson, C. (2009). Abu Dhabi: oil and beyond. Columbia University Press. Explorer Publishing Staff. (2007). Abu Dhabi. Explorer Publishing. Read More