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Sunday, October 26, 2008
Move to Reduce Congestion and Population Density in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI — The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) has come up with a strategy to reduce congestion and population density in the central area of Abu Dhabi city.
“Abu Dhabi’s population is projected to increase to three million by 2030. This will pose significant challenges in terms of mobility and transportation,” said Falah Al Ahbabi, general manager of the UPC.
The approximately one million people living in Abu Dhabi city right now are concentrated in one area, posing immense challenges for commuting.
“The remainder of the capital is developed with palaces, villas, mosques, schools and other institutional and recreational buildings, while low-density suburbs dot the mainland,” said Falah Al Ahbabi.
By 2030, the UPC reckons, the land use structure here will change dramatically to create a city that will function well with more than three times its current population.
“We are creating the Capital City District, with a population of 3,50,000 to 3,80,000 residents, which will form a second centre in Abu Dhabi, located on the mainland in the area known as Khalifa City,” Falah Al Ahbabi added.
The Capital City District will sit on an axis that is an extension of the Mussafah Bridge alignment, being at the centre of the mainland Emirati communities.
The city’s centre will be expanded towards northeast to encompass Sowah Island (the new financial centre), the redeveloped Mina Zayed Port area, and parts of Reem Island. This will continue to be the financial and commercial heart of Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, the Capital City District — the new location of the UAE Federal Government, embassies and some emirate and municipality government functions — will become the seat of the national government.
New transport infrastructure will be developed to connect the city’s centre with the Capital City District.
In a single-centre city, traffic flow towards the centre in the morning would be too high, congesting incoming routes and leaving outgoing routes half empty. The opposite happens in the evening. In a dual-centre city, traffic movement between the centres would be nearly equal so that street space and public transport are fully utilised in both directions.
“By breaking the mould of the traditional city planning model, the UPC is promoting a new mindset through responsive urbanism concepts,” Falah Al Ahbabi said.
By 2030, Abu Dhabi will have a series of major centres of activity, in addition to the dominant central area of the city and Capital City District. The Abu Dhabi mainland will expand substantially with the redevelopment and expansion of Shahama-Bahia, Baniyas and Wathba, and with the development of new communities such as Al Falah and Shamkha.
silvia@khaleejtimes.com
THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - FACT SHEET
THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The
Desert Heritage
The emirate was inhabited as far back as the third millennium BC, but the
The discovery of oil in 1958 and its subsequent export from 1962 produced a sudden upsurge in
Traditions
The city’s progressive vision is tempered with a deep-seated respect for traditions and culture, and tucked away between modern towers are heritage locales that tell tales of
Places of Interest
The city of
Deira's many attractions include the historic quarter of Bastakia, as well as old souks and covered marketplaces. Wandering along the alleys, you can explore the Spice Souk and the Gold Souk. The
On the Bur
If you drive west from the city centre, you will reach the popular suburb of Jumeirah, home to some of Dubai's finest luxury hotels and resorts, unspoilt stretches of sunny beaches and water sports complexes. In Jumeirah is the Grand Mosque, re-built in 1998, with the city's tallest minaret, nine large domes and 45 small domes - a distinguished landmark and an important place of worship.
About 115 Km south east of
In contrast to the traditional attractions of
Best Buys and Bargains
The city is one of the largest retail gold markets in the world, selling everything from ingots to intricately hand crafted jewellery, and bargaining is welcomed almost everywhere. The Gold Souk area in Deira has glittering street-front stores and hides dozens of alleys housing smaller shops. The newly built Gold and
The city is also home to some of the
The larger shopping mall complexes also house cinema theatres, food courts, entertainment centers and play areas for children, allowing for complete family shopping experiences.
Choose to browse through the older markets and the narrow walkways located in the Meena Bazaar, Karama and Naif areas, dedicated to inexpensive reproductions of international brands; leather goods and textiles; computer and electrical accessories and Arabic perfumes.
Most shopping venues and cultural destinations sell a range of gifts and souvenirs representing
Seasonal Highlights
Varying from the world's richest horse race - The
While the actual dates of many important events are timed to match the season, the Lunar calendar and the holy month of Ramadan change from year to year. The chart below provides a guideline to the city's many events:
January - The
February - The
March -
April - International Jewellery exhibition
May - Local and international events
June -
July -
August -
September - Gulf IT Exhibition (GITEX), Local and international events (
October -
November - Horse racing season, Dubai Traditional Dhow Sailing Race
December - Rugby 7s, Dubai Air Show, Dubai Grand Prix, National Day celebrations
Rest and Recreation
Dubai is an exciting year round destination that offers unlimited opportunities for rest and recreation, be it a walk through a lush green family park, an adventurous day in the waters of the Arabian Gulf, or a pampering session at one of the many health spas.
Beaches: Some of
Desert safaris: One of Dubai's most popular tourist attractions is the desert safari: a unique experience that combines an adventurous 4WD car ride over sand dunes with camels, belly dancers, henna designers, falconers, and a barbecue dinner by starlight. Other attractions include sand skiing, sand boarding, sand carting and 4WD desert driving
Fishing: The warmth and shelter of the Gulf attract a large variety of fish, and several local companies provide full and half day trips to the best fishing waters about 12Km offshore from the mainland.
Golf:
Treatments and therapies:
SHARJAH
Sharjah is a city of learning and the arts, as confirmed by its 1998 UNESCO designation as the Cultural Capital of the Arab World. This context facilitates the university's intention to be an academic center at the intersection of ancient cultural traditions and contemporary intellectual currents. The city of
Strategically situated between the
It was here that the British chose to set up their military base and the
Sharjah has beautiful beaches on the shores of the Arabian Gulf in the West, the
AJMAN
The Emirate of Ajman is situated on the coast of the
UMM AL-QAIWAIN
Umm al-Qaiwain is situated between
Umm al-Qaiwain's attraction lies in its long clean beaches, an enclosed lagoon and public horse riding stables. Located 50 Km south of Umm Al Qaiwain is Falaj Al Mulla, the agricultural part of the Emirate.
RAS AL-KHAIMAH
Ras al-Khaimah is the northern most emirate of the UAE. It’s history extends into antiquity. Archeological excavations reveal that a settlement with an advanced civilization that carried on trade with the Indian sub-continent existed in this region. Later historical records cite that the town of
The traditional occupations of this emirate are mainly fishing, trading and agriculture which have been heavily modernized to meet the demands of the UAE's economy. Fruits, vegetables, milk; poultry are supplied to the other emirates from here.
The sea around Ras al-Khaimah abounds in tuna fish. The mountains have enabled the set up of stone quarries and a cement factory. Also the oilfield of Saleh, has boosted up the revenues of the emirate.
Mina Saqr, located next to the town of
The Hajar mountain range that divides the UAE in two, from Ras al-Khaimah to Al Ain has kept
The Fujairah port is an important port for container liners and for the world's largest livestock shipping companies which have set up their main holding station for sheep and cattle for the entire
Its clean beaches, the numerous water sports like swimming, yachting, water surfing and deep sea fishing attract tourists all round the year. The
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