Dubai: Abu Dhabi
When we drove to Abu Dhabi, we drove past the free trade areas (a.k.a. “cities”) where there was another cluster of skyscrapers. One of them was my second favorite on the trip. The whole square building structure twisted 90 degrees as it spiraled into the sky! Right past this area, the tour guide pointed out that there was an industrial area with natural gas power stations, that powered the desalination plants and aluminum smelters within the industrial area. The next thing he pointed out was the Jebel Ali Free Zone Area (JAFZA), which is the biggest free zone area in the United Arab Emirates and also the last stop of the Metro. As we passed the Dubai/Abu Dhabi border, he pointed out that the number of streetlights that light the freeway at night changed from 4 to 6 because Abu Dhabi is much wealthier than Dubai due to its vast oil reserves. He also pointed out that the color of the pavement turned from black to brown. I noticed that date palms lined the middle of the freeway, while a forest of trees were planted and irrigated next to the freeway on both sides. Our first stop in Abu Dhabi was outside of the actual city of Abu Dhabi, and inside the City of Masdar. We entered the “city” in an automatic electric shuttle system that runs below the ground. When we arrived, we went on a guided tour and learned that the only people in Masdar are the people affiliated with the Masdar Institute and the construction workers, including those who work at the construction waste recycling area. The institute was about the size of a community college campus, although the buildings were about 8 stories tall. First, we visited the library, which is called the “knowledge center” and is designed to look like a brain from the outside. Then, we walked through the middle of the campus and were shown the cooling tower, which was not turned on. Cooling towers used to be used to cool buildings in the area through convection for people who could afford to construct one within their residence.
After Masdar, we soon got to the actual city of Abu Dhabi. The tour guide told us that Abu Dhabi means “father of deer”. The first thing I noticed while we were entering the city was the modern looking Sheikh Zayed Bridge. As we crossed the bridge, I saw an old looking tower in the Maqta channel. As we drove into the city, I saw many enormous mansions (called “houses” by the locals) and a building designed to lean 18 degrees, more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. As we drove through the downtown area, I was impressed by the first big park/green area I had seen for pedestrians, which ran parallel to the also impressive public beach area. Our first stop in the city of Abu Dhabi was the Emirates Palace, which is a seven-star hotel. The inside’s interior design featured a prominent gold theme. As we explored the ground level, we looked at a few glass cabinets displaying many different Islamic prayer beads for sale. The beads were crafted from a mix of precious stones, bones, ivory, and more including such exotic materials as: walrus tusk, whale bone/tooth, turtle shell, jade, Arizona turquoise, sapphire, amber, opalescent, ruby, emerald, and even wooly mammoth tusk! After the palace, we visited a nearby island known as Saadiyat, which is the site for extensive development. In the near future, the island will feature a Louvre museum, the world’s largest Guggenheim Museum, and much more. We stopped at a museum that explained the plans for the island. It was the first museum I had been to that was about the future instead of the past. We learned that the development is expected to be completed in 2020. There was also a small gallery featuring items that will be in the Louvre. Next, we visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The mosque was bright white and absolutely enormous. It was nice to watch it as we approached. Once we got inside I saw intricate glasswork and inlaid pearl and marble all over the walls, columns, and floors. The world’s biggest chandelier hung from the ceiling. It was the first time I had been into a mosque with females because they normally are not allowed to be in the same area as the men. The females in one of the groups all were wearing the same exact black hooded dress (presumably given to them by the tour operator) that reminded me of Harry Potter. As we walked out, I realized that it was by far the most elaborate mosque I’ve ever been to.
On our next trip to Abu Dhabi, we crossed into the city from the other side of Saadiyat Island. Big utility-sized lines ran between the ten-lane freeway we were driving on and the beach, which was within 100 yards of the freeway. Many saltwater plants were growing along the shore including natural mangroves mixed with ones that were obviously planted there. We finally got to our destination, which was the office complex for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). Sixteen companies operate inside of ADNOC, one of which is the Al Hosen Gas Company, which is the company we visited on the top (26th) floor of one of the buildings. We got executive treatment and were told that Al Hosen means “fort palace.” The company logo looks like the tower I had in the Maqta channel as I crossed the Sheikh Zayed Bridge. During one of the presentations given by the company in the executive meeting room, we were informed that the UAE’s energy consumption was “as low as Arizona.” We were also informed that Al Hosen is a new company, which seeks to profit from accomplishing the task of extracting and refining the sour gas reserves (natural gas that contains a mix of 23% hydrogen sulfide). The company’s wells and processing facility is currently construction. Before we left, we ate a nice meal and received goodie bags. As we were driving out of the city, I saw a deer with horns, remembered what Abu Dhabi means, and smiled.