The largest of the United Arab Emirates, like its neighbours, wears its wealth on its sleeve. So don't come in search of traditional Middle Eastern culture, writes Olivia Kelly
ABU DHABI, it is said, is the Switzerland of the Middle East. As international comparisons go it's not quite as good as the Paris of the Orient or the Venice of the south, but in this tiny Arab emirate on the Persian Gulf it's seen as an accolade - and, in terms of wealth, atmosphere and culture, it fits.
The emirate's capital, Abu Dhabi, which is also the federal capital of the United Arab Emirates, sits on an island, surrounded by smaller islands, both natural and man-made, and has clean, sandy beaches.
A park-lined promenade stretches along the coast; the beachside hotels mainly have four or more stars. (Abu Dhabi will soon have a seven-star establishment.)
It is ideally situated to draw tourists, particularly those seeking winter sun. Daytime temperatures rarely dip below 18 degrees; for three seasons a year you can count on their being in the high 20s. June to September, however, is unbearably hot, reaching 40 degrees.
It's a lot quieter than Dubai, free from the traffic jams that beset its more developed neighbour. One of the main developments under way is Saadiyat, a 27km natural island about 500m off the coast. Connected by bridge to the city, it will have 29 hotels - including the seven-star hotel - marinas, golf courses, residential complexes and franchises of the Louvre and Guggenheim museums.
All this is several years away, however. In the meantime, tourists have the standard sun-resort offerings of beaches and water sports - with the added twist of desert trips that can include sand-dune jeep races - as well as golf and shopping.
If Abu Dhabi is remarkable for anything, it is its wealth. The emirate holds 10 per cent of the world's known oil reserves, leaving its 420,000 citizens with an average net worth of more than €10 million. The emirate has for the past three decades pumped these almost unimaginable riches into developing a high-rise city with huge air-conditioned shopping centres full of designer brands, alongside British and other European high-street chains.
There are markets, or souks, with some more traditional Middle Eastern goods, evoking grand bazaars in Morocco or Istanbul, but they too are in modern shopping centres. They sell gold, carpets and pashminas but lack the atmosphere that makes these places so attractive in other cities.
Down by the docklands is a more ramshackle market, the Iranian Souk, which largely sells cheap household goods, as well as terracotta urns and cane furniture, but it exists largely to serve the household needs of local immigrant workers.
Abu Dhabi has one of the world's lowest crime rates. This could be because the government does not release crime statistics, but, even anecdotally, street crime is virtually unheard of, and there have been few reports internationally of attacks on tourists. This is not a place of shady lanes and hidden corners, and that's because everything is brand new.
Eighty per cent of the population is foreign. Those born in the emirate rely on Indian, Pakistani, and other Asian workers to keep the always-busy construction industry ticking over and to run their services. Many European and Canadian expats live in the emirate, too. This could make Abu Dhabi a vibrant melting pot. Instead, it gives it a characterless feel.
A westernised atmosphere is what Abu Dhabi seems to be striving for. Very few buildings date from before the oil days, apart from a fort built in 1793, which is not really worth a visit.
There is also a heritage village, a small-scale reproduction of a Bedouin village that purports to show what life was like before the oil. Despite the efforts of its staff, it struggles to occupy more than a few minutes of your time.
You get the impression that the government would rather you concentrated on modern Abu Dhabi.
The recently completed Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is worth a look for the sheer spectacle. A giant white marble edifice - half an Italian mountain is now missing, a tour guide boasted - it's the world's third-largest mosque, the size of five football fields. According to our guide, it has the world's largest carpet, dome and chandelier.
Everybody is asked to dress modestly, which means no shorts for men; women should wear trousers or a long skirt and cover their arms and head.
Mosques are one of the few places where dress code comes into play. Modest dress - skirts not far above the knee, and covered shoulders - is appreciated throughout the city, but the atmosphere is Islam-lite. Women are not stared at - western or non-Arabic women being no novelty - and alcohol is served in all the hotels, which is were all the restaurants are, too. Some even serve pork.
The food is international, with a lot of "pan-Asian" restaurants. Asian and Middle Eastern food seems to be what they're best at; dishes from elsewhere, such as Italy and Mexico, are also available, but they are less successfully interpreted. Fish and seafood, as you'd expect, are fresh and plentiful.
Hotels are high-end. One of the most impressive is the Emirates Palace. The official state hotel, it is a gargantuan building that cost about €3 billion to construct and is a tourist attraction in itself.
Luxury is the norm in Abu Dhabi, and service everywhere is impeccable. At just over seven hours away by air, it is a bit of a distance, but with flights direct from Dublin, and connections to Australia and other destinations, it is a good stop-off option.
Go there
Olivia Kelly's visit to Abu Dhabi was courtesy of Etihad Airways and Tropical Sky. Since March 30th Etihad are flying direct to Abu Dhabi daily from Dublin. www.etihadairways.com.
Tropical Sky offers packages to Abu Dhabi with accommodation at the five-star Emirates Palace Hotel. www.tropicalsky.ie.
Abu Dhabi essentials
When to go
With unbearably hot summers, this is a winter-sun destination. The weather is mildest from November to March, but October, April and May are usually still comfortable, with temperatures not creeping much over 30 degrees.
What to eat
The restaurant scene is based around hotels, which are also the only places you'll get alcohol. Every nation is represented, but what they seem to do best is a mixture of Iranian, Moroccan and Lebanese-style food - that is, falafel, hummus and every imaginable combination of meat on a skewer. Fish is fresh and plentiful. Vegetables, most of which are imported, are good.
Where to stay.
The Emirates Palace Hotel (www.emiratespalace.com) is the ultimate in luxury. A leviathan of a place, it uses golf carts to take guests from the west wing to the east-wing pools. Nearly all the downtown hotels have at least four stars, as Abu Dhabi concentrates on the luxury end of the tourist market. Because it's largely a commercial town, however, most hotels have a business feel. If you're looking for leisure and family facilities, it's best to chose a beachfront property. Try www.visitabudhabi.com.
What to do
Visit the Grand Mosque. This is not a historical building, as it has just been finished, but it is impressive in size and adornment, with plenty of Italian marble and a giant chandelier made of Murano glass (yes, Italy again).
You could also take a trip to Dubai, a 90-minute drive down the road, for a change of pace. Dubai has been in the tourism game a lot longer than Abu Dhabi. It is more hectic, and the skyline is more crammed with cranes, but the huge scale of development is worth a look. It even has an indoor ski slope with real snow, if you're sick of the sun (and don't mind making an outlandish contribution to global warming). Desert and island trips, plus golf and water sports, can all be organised through hotels.
Where to avoid
The heritage village and the Old Fort. Heritage is not really what this place is about, and both are dull.