Trip to Abu Dhabi

I had to spend 2 days at our office in Abu Dhabi which was exciting because I really wanted to check out the UAE capital during my visit. It is supposed to be a 45 minute drive from Dubai but perhaps we hit alot of morning traffic because it took us over 2 hours to get there. Besides the traffic, Abu Dhabi was a great place to visit - if you have limited time, a day trip to Abu Dhabi is enough just start very early!

Abu Dhabi houses many federal buildings, is home to the Emirati royal family of the UAE, and is one of the world's largest producers of oil. Abu Dhabi was primarily in the news recently since it rescued Dubai from debt crisis mainly linked to its two property firms, Nakheel and Limitless World. Abu Dhabi continues to be ranked as one of the richest cities in the world.

While there the top three things to see are: the Corniche, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, and the Emirates Palace.

The Corniche is a 4 mile long road along the waterfront. There are many little cafes, picnic grounds, beaches and is a major hang out spot in Abu Dhabi for families during the day and evenings.

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the largest mosque in the UAE and the 8th largest in the world. It is a gorgeous white structure from the outside, i unfortunately was at work and coudn't go! However, Brak got to check out the beautiful mosque and see the "World's Largest Carpet" from Iran and the "World's Largest Chandelier" made in Germany.

Emirates Palace is the most expensive hotel ever built. It was a 3 billion dollar project and is owned by the Abu Dhabi government. It is run by Kempinski. Inside is stunning. It has gold decorations from top to bottom with beautiful marble floors. It is a huge estate and you can walk throughout the palace for hours...be sure to have some cocktails at one of the outside restaurants:)