The largest of all seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abu Dhabi is also the richest – yes, richer than Dubai. Its territory covers almost 90% of the country, and includes around 200 natural islands and a 400 km long coastline. As with its neighbors, oil there is the main source of wealth.
O Planet CNN , which airs this Sunday (26), at 7:15 pm, brings a bit of that sumptuousness. We have selected five superlatives of Abu Dhabi for you to check out:
The first and only “branch” of the Louvre Museum outside France is in Abu Dhabi, a project that took a decade to complete. One of the great attractions of the 8,600 square meter building is a hollow dome, made up of 7,850 stars of different sizes, through which sunlight enters. It weighs 7,500 tons, which is equivalent to the weight of the Eiffel Tower.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is another impressive architectural attraction. It is the largest in the UAE, with over a thousand columns making up the outer arches, which were hand-designed using millions of pieces of semi-precious stones from different countries around the world. The mosque also has 82 domes of varying sizes, and a prayer room with capacity for up to eight thousand worshipers. In this room is the world’s largest chandelier inside a mosque, made up of 40 million pieces of Swarovski crystal.
Yas Island is Abu Dhabi’s benchmark for entertainment. As the name says it is an island, but artificial. There are 2,500 hectares of built area – that is, 25 thousand square meters. It is a complex dedicated to fun, adventure and speed. There are polo clubs, marinas, golf courses, hotels, a water park, a Ferrari theme park and the Yas Marina Circuit, where the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix is held. At exactly 1,173 meters, this is the longest straight track on any Formula 1 circuit.
And speaking of speed, the Ferrari World theme park, located on this island, has the fastest roller coaster in the world. Formula Rossa goes from 0 to 240 km/h in just 4.9 seconds. With 2 km in length, it underwent a restructuring and before its reopening, in 2017, it was tested by the duo Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel, icons of Formula 1.
Abu Dhabi is big in size, but it’s good to remember that there are many deserts there. And they are imposing too. This is the case of the Rub’ al-Khali, known as The Empty Quarter, which is the longest continuous sand region in the world. There are approximately 60,000 square meters of uninterrupted desert, making it also reach into the territories of Oman, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
