History of Abu Dhabi in Timeline

Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It is the UAE's second-most populous city, after Dubai. Situated on a T-shaped island extending into the Persian Gulf, it serves as the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District.

1905: Birth of Abdulla bin Sulayem

In 1905, Abdulla bin Sulayem, an important poet from the UAE, was born. He made headway in Classical Arabic poetry as opposed to the Nabati poetry of the 17th century.

January 1936: Concession Agreement with Sheikh Shakhbut

On January 5, 1936, Petroleum Development Trucial Coast Ltd (PDTC) entered into a concession agreement with Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan to explore for oil.

January 1939: Seventy-Five-Year Concession Signed

In January 1939, a seventy-five-year oil concession was signed following the initial agreement.

1947: British Maintained Influence in Abu Dhabi

In 1947, following their withdrawal from India, the British maintained their influence in Abu Dhabi due to growing interest in the oil potential of the Persian Gulf.

1953: D'Arcy Exploration Company Obtains Offshore Concession

In 1953, D'Arcy Exploration Company, the exploration arm of BP, obtained an offshore oil concession, which was then transferred to Abu Dhabi Marine Areas (ADMA), a joint venture between BP and Compagnie Française des Pétroles.

1954: Death of Mubarak Al Oqaili

In 1954, Emirati poet Mubarak Al Oqaili passed away. He made headway in Classical Arabic poetry as opposed to the Nabati poetry of the 17th century.

1958: Oil Discovered in Umm Shaif Field

In 1958, ADMA discovered oil in the Umm Shaif field at a depth of about 2,669 metres using the ADMA Enterprise marine drilling platform.

1959: PDTC's Onshore Discovery Well at Murban No.3

In 1959, PDTC made an onshore oil discovery well at Murban No.3.

1959: Death of Salem bin Ali al Owais

In 1959, Salem bin Ali al Owais, an important poet from the UAE, passed away. He made headway in Classical Arabic poetry as opposed to the Nabati poetry of the 17th century.

1962: ADMA Discovered Bu Hasa Oil Field

In 1962, ADMA discovered the Bu Hasa oil field.

1963: ADMA Discovered Lower Zakum Oil Field

In 1963, ADMA discovered the Lower Zakum oil field.

August 6, 1966: Coup by Zayed Al Nahyan

On August 6, 1966, a bloodless coup, backed by the British, led by Shakhbut's younger brother Zayed Al Nahyan, occurred due to perceived mismanagement of oil fields and fears of a pan-Arab uprising.

1966: Dubai First Oil Discovery

In 1966, Dubai made its first oil discovery with the offshore Fateh oil field, which significantly contributed to the emirate's early development.

1967: City Planned by Katsuhiko Takahashi

In 1967, the city of Abu Dhabi was planned under the guidance of Sheikh Zayed by Japanese architect Katsuhiko Takahashi initially for a population of 40,000.

1968: Construction of Al Maqta Bridge

In 1968, Al Maqta Bridge was built as the first connection to Abu Dhabi island.

1969: Introduction of First Town Bus Service

In about 1969, the first town bus entered service in Abu Dhabi as part of a very informal service.

December 2, 1971: Formation of the United Arab Emirates

On December 2, 1971, Abu Dhabi, along with six other emirates, formed the United Arab Emirates (UAE), establishing a federal government and appointing Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as the first President.

1976: Death of Abdulla bin Sulayem

In 1976, Abdulla bin Sulayem, an important poet from the UAE, passed away. He made headway in Classical Arabic poetry as opposed to the Nabati poetry of the 17th century.

1977: Opening of Mussafah Bridge

In 1977, the Mussafah Bridge opened, now part of the E20 highway.

1982: Opening of AUH

Abu Dhabi City was previously served by the Al Bateen Executive Airport, which was the old international airport for Abu Dhabi until AUH opened in 1982.

1995: Introduction of the Internet

In 1995, the Internet was introduced into Abu Dhabi.

November 1996: Construction Began

Construction of the mosque began on 5 November 1996.

2004: Death of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

In 2004 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first President of the United Arab Emirates, passed away.

2005: Crude birth and death rates

As of 2005, the crude birth rate was 13.6%, while the crude death rate was about 2%.

2005: Water Demand Estimation

In 2005-06, the water demand for Abu Dhabi was estimated to be 511 MiGD.

2006: Water Supply by ADWEA

As of 2006, the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) supplied 560.2 MiGD of water.

2006: Establishment of Du

In 2006, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC – better known as Du) was established.

2006: Per capita income growth

In 2006, the UAE experienced fast-growing economy. The per capita income grew by 9%, providing a GDP per capita of $49,700 and ranking third in the world at purchasing power parity.

September 2007: Publication of Plan Abu Dhabi 2030

In September 2007, the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) published the Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 Urban Structure Framework Plan.

December 2007: Internal Prayer Halls Opened

In December 2007, the internal prayer halls were initially opened.

2007: Electricity Consumption Statistics

As of 2007, the city's per capita electricity consumption was about 41,000 kWh and the total supplied was 8,367 MW.

2007: Release of The Kingdom

In 2007, the film "The Kingdom" was released, featuring Abu Dhabi as one of its shooting locations.

Loading Video...

June 2008: Public Bus Service Launch

On June 30, 2008, the Department of Transport began public bus service in Abu Dhabi with four routes, which were zero-fare until the end of 2008.

July 2008: High-Rise Buildings Under Construction

As of July 2008, there were 62 high-rise buildings from 23 to 150 m under construction, approved for construction, or proposed for construction in Abu Dhabi.

2008: Abu Dhabi Jiujitsu Schools Program Began

In 2008, the Abu Dhabi Jiujitsu Schools Program began under the patronage of crown prince (now President) Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The program launched in 14 schools for pupils in grades 6 and 7.

2009: Etisalat Announces FTTH Network

During the third quarter of 2009, Etisalat announced implementing a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network in Abu Dhabi.

2009: Abu Dhabi Education Council brings in licensed teachers

From 2009, the Abu Dhabi Education Council brought over thousands of licensed teachers from native English-speaking countries to support their New School Model Program in government schools.

2009: International Airport Passenger Usage Growth

In 2009, Abu Dhabi International Airport experienced a 30%+ growth in passenger usage.

2009: Government Diversified Economic Plans

In 2009, the government diversified its economic plans, and the country's non-oil and gas GDP outstripped that attributable to the energy sector, constituting 64% of the UAE's total GDP.

2009: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix held at Yas Marina Circuit

Since 2009, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix of Formula One has been held at the Yas Marina Circuit.

September 2010: New York University opens Abu Dhabi campus

In September 2010, New York University opened a government-sponsored satellite campus in Abu Dhabi.

2010: GDP per capita ranks ninth in the world

In 2010, Abu Dhabi's GDP per capita reached $49,600, ranking ninth in the world.

2010: Opening of Sheikh Zayed Bridge

In 2010, the Sheikh Zayed Bridge was opened, now part of the E10 highway and Sheikh Zayed Road.

2010: Abu Dhabi becomes major shooting spot for film companies

Since 2010, Abu Dhabi has become one of the major shooting spots for many film companies, including Hollywood.

2011: Cultural Foundation closed for reconstruction

As of spring 2011, the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi was closed for reconstruction, housing the UAE Public Library and Cultural Center.

2011: Completion of Al-Mafraq Bridge

In early 2011, the Al-Mafraq bridge, a multi-layer interchange bridge with 27 lanes, was completed, connecting the city to Reem Island.

2012: Opening of Khalifa Port

Khalifa Port opened in 2012.

2013: Release of Arrambam

In 2013, the film "Arrambam" was released, featuring Abu Dhabi as one of its shooting locations.

Loading Video...

2014: Population Demographics

As of 2014, there were 477,000 UAE nationals out of 2,650,000 people living in the emirate, with approximately 80% of the population being expatriates.

2015: Expansion of school-Jitsu program

By 2015, the plan was for up to 500 schools to be participating in the school-Jitsu program.

2015: Releases of Baby, Furious 7, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens

In 2015, Abu Dhabi was featured in the films "Baby", "Furious 7", and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens".

Loading Video...

2015: Increase in passenger numbers at Zayed International Airport

In 2015, passenger numbers at Zayed International Airport rose by 17.2 percent, with more than 23 million travelers.

2016: Release of Dishoom

In 2016, the film "Dishoom" was released, featuring Abu Dhabi as one of its shooting locations.

Loading Video...

March 2017: Decree by Sheikh Khalifa

In March 2017, Sheikh Khalifa issued a decree officially naming the eastern region of Abu Dhabi as "Al Ain Region" and the western region as "Al Dhafra Region".

2017: Israeli flag and national anthem ban at International Judo Federation Abu Dhabi grand slam

In 2017, the International Judo Federation refused to allow the Israeli flag and the Israeli national anthem at the international games in Abu Dhabi.

2017: Releases of War Machine and Tiger Zinda Hai

In 2017, the films "War Machine" and "Tiger Zinda Hai" were released, featuring Abu Dhabi as one of their shooting locations.

Loading Video...

2018: Launch of Ghadan 21

In 2018, Abu Dhabi launched Ghadan 21, a string of initiatives to diversify the economy with a total injection of AED 50 billion focusing on business and investment, society, knowledge and innovation, and lifestyle.

2018: Ban on Israeli symbols lifted at International Judo Federation Abu Dhabi grand slam

In 2018, the ban on Israeli symbols was lifted, and the Israeli flag and the national anthem were allowed to be displayed at the International Judo Federation Abu Dhabi grand slam. Israeli minister of sports Miri Regev was also allowed to attend the event.

2018: Construction Finished for Qaṣr Al-Waṭan

In 2018, the construction of Qaṣr Al-Waṭan was finished.

2018: Release of Race 3

In 2018, the film "Race 3" was released, featuring Abu Dhabi as one of its shooting locations.

March 2019: Abu Dhabi hosted the first Special Olympics World Games in the Middle East

In March 2019, Abu Dhabi hosted the first Special Olympics World Games in the Middle East. The event took place from 14 to 21 March 2019 and featured more than 7,500 athletes participating in 24 sporting disciplines.

March 2019: Opening of Qaṣr Al-Waṭan to the Public

In March 2019, Qaṣr Al-Waṭan, the UAE Presidential Palace, opened to the public.

June 2019: Inauguration of Multi-Faith Prayer Room

On June 30, 2019, the Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi officially inaugurated a multi-faith prayer room at Zayed International Airport.

July 2019: Allocation for global entertainment partners

In July 2019, Abu Dhabi allocated $163 million to finance global entertainment partners as part of its plan to diversify the economy and wean it off oil.

July 2019: Grand Mosque Listed Among Top Global Attractions

In July 2019, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was listed among the top global attractions by TripAdvisor, ranking number three out of 750 landmarks from 68 countries.

July 2019: Completion of Noor Abu Dhabi Solar Park Project

On July 2, 2019, the Noor Abu Dhabi solar park project, which is the largest solar project in the world, was completed.

September 2019: Synagogue Construction Announced

In September 2019, the construction of UAE's first official synagogue was announced, as part of the Abrahamic Family House complex in Abu Dhabi.

September 2019: Licenses Granted to Churches and Hindu Temple

On 22 September 2019, the Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi granted licenses to 17 churches and the first-ever traditional Hindu temple.

October 2019: Abu Dhabi announces Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)

In October 2019, Abu Dhabi announced the world's first graduate-level AI research institution, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).

2019: Abu Dhabi Hosts AFC Asian Cup

In 2019, Abu Dhabi hosted the AFC Asian Cup.

2019: Releases of Saaho and Six Underground

In 2019, Abu Dhabi was featured in the films "Saaho" and "Six Underground".

Loading Video...

2019: Formation of the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office

In 2019, the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office (ADGMO) was formed to represent the government in the media and monitor local and international media.

September 2020: Classes begin at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI)

In September 2020, classes were scheduled to begin at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).

2020: First synagogue commencing construction

In 2020, Abu Dhabi was becoming more tolerant than its neighbors, and the first synagogue commenced construction alongside Christian churches, Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras, and Buddhist temples.

2020: Synagogue Construction Begins

In 2020, construction was scheduled to begin on the synagogue, part of the multi-faith Abrahamic Family House complex.

May 2021: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center at Arabian Travel Market

In May 2021, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center attended the Arabian Travel Market 2021 exhibition to promote its religious and cultural role.

2021: Passenger trips completed in Abu Dhabi

As of 2021, the Abu Dhabi public bus system had completed 53.3 million passenger trips, with a fleet of 583 buses for the city of Abu Dhabi.

2021: Introduction of Darb Toll Gates

In 2021, Abu Dhabi introduced four Darb toll gates on all bridges entering the main Abu Dhabi island, operating during peak hours, and had over 1.8 million registered cars by year-end.

2021: Releases of The Misfits and Dune

In 2021, the films "The Misfits" and "Dune" were released, featuring Abu Dhabi as one of their shooting locations.

Loading Video...

2021: Ferry Passenger Usage

In 2021, the number of passengers who used public ferries reached 114,093.

April 2022: Oil Production in the UAE

As of April 2022, oil production in the UAE was about 3.0 million barrels per day (BPD).

April 2022: Abu Dhabi announces 100% capacity for commercial activities, tourist attractions and events

On 29 April 2022, Abu Dhabi announced a 100% capacity for commercial activities, tourist attractions and events in the emirate.

2022: Planned Completion of Abrahamic Family House

By 2022, the full construction of the Abrahamic Family House, including a synagogue, mosque, and church, was announced to be completed.

2022: Launch of Autonomous Public Transport

In 2022, Abu Dhabi launched autonomous self-driving public transport options in Yas Island and Saadiyat Island, including autonomous trams, taxis, and minibuses.

2022: Renovation and Expansion of Al Bateen Executive Airport

In 2022, Al Bateen Executive Airport underwent renovation and expansion to accommodate twin-aisle jets and resumed operation to private, business, and VIP traffic.

2022: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Ranking

In 2022, The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority was the world's 3rd largest sovereign wealth fund.

October 2023: Launch of ART Service Pilot Phase

During October 2023, the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) launched the ART Service on mainland Abu Dhabi as a pilot phase as part of the Smart Mobility project.

2023: Completion of Etihad Rail Network Phase Two

In 2023, Abu Dhabi City was connected to the second phase of the Etihad Rail network for freight operations.

2023: Safest City Ranking

In 2023, Abu Dhabi was ranked as the safest city in the world for the sixth year running by Numbeo.

2023: Inauguration of Umm Yifeenah Bridge

In 2023, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan inaugurated the Umm Yifeenah Bridge, an 11 km highway connection between Al Reem Island and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street.

2023: Abu Dhabi's Estimated Population

In 2023, the urban area of Abu Dhabi had an estimated population of 2.5 million out of the 3.8 million in the emirate.

July 2024: Launch of "Smart Travel" biometric

In July 2024, it was reported that Zayed International Airport launched the world's first-of-its-kind "Smart Travel" biometric.

December 5, 2024: Zayed International Airport Wins "World's Most Beautiful Airport"

On December 5, 2024, Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi (AUH) won the title of "World's Most Beautiful Airport" at the Prix Versailles for architecture and design.

2024: Second Sphere venue confirmed for Abu Dhabi

In 2024, the Madison Square Garden Company confirmed that a second Sphere venue, identical to the Sphere in Las Vegas, would be built in Abu Dhabi.

2030: Abu Dhabi Economic Vision

Abu Dhabi is planning the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, where Abu Dhabi's economy will be sustainable and the non-oil portion of income is planned to be increased from about 40% to about 70%.

2030: Abu Dhabi's Urban Structure Framework Plan

Abu Dhabi's 2030 Urban Structure Framework Plan is a part of the changes in roads and bridges.

2030: Abu Dhabi Plan 2030 Encouragement

The Abu Dhabi Plan 2030 encouraged the development of tall buildings, leading to the construction of many new skyscrapers over the next decade.

2030: Visionary Plan Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) published the visionary Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, which is the agency responsible for the future of Abu Dhabi's urban environments.

2030: Planned Expansion of Oil Production Capacity

The UAE is looking to expand its maximum oil production capacity from approximately 4 million BPD to 5 million BPD by 2030.

2030: Surface Transport Master Plan

Within the framework of the government's Surface Transport Master Plan 2030, a massive expansion of public transport is anticipated.

2031: UAE's National Sport Strategy

Abu Dhabi follows the UAE's National Sport Strategy 2031 which aims to increase general participation in sports and expand the types and frequency of sport facilities available in the city.