Population 928,360     Ruler H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Abu Dhabi City - Capital of the United Arab Emirates   Abu Dhabi is one of the most modern cities in the world. It is the center of government and business life in the UAE,headquarters of the emirates oil operating companies and embassies are based here. The architecture of its modern buildings and sky scrapers is the finest in the Middle East. Abu Dhabi's oil wealth has been wisely utilized to encourage a healthy trade and commerce atmosphere apart from oil industries too. The promotion of tourism and various tourism related projects will elevate Abu Dhabi to a Singaporean status in the region. Large gardens and parks, green boulevards lining all the streets and roads, s ophisticated high-rise buildings, state-of-the-art communication services and transport, the presence of all the international luxury hotel chains, rich shopping malls, cultural centers and events provide tourists a one-of-a-kind experience all the year round. A few of the important are listed below :   The Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Centre has hosted some of the most prestigious international events like IDEX (International Defense Exhibitions) etc. The Abu Dhabi Shopping Festival held every year in early March is filled with fantastic bargains, sale and prizes from all the shopping malls.   The Abu Dhabi Duty Free is one of the finest duty free shopping centers in t he world and its prize draw is popular throughout the world.   The Abu Dhabi International Airport ranks among the best airports in the world.   The Abu Dhabi Cultural Centre has become a landmark in the Emirates and holds cultural events and workshops throughout the year. Its library is well catalogued and offers a rich source of information on the region. More about Abu Dhabi Emirate   Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven Emirates and the Federal capital of the UAE. It occupies an area of 26,000 square miles. Its long coastline - the shallow waters of the Southern Gulf, extending from the base of the Qatar Peninsula in the west to the border of the emirate of Dubai on the north east, was once the world's best waters for pearling. When the pearling industry declined, oil discovery in the offshore oilfields of the Southern Gulf revived the economy of Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi was also the first emirate to export oil from the Umm Shaif offshore field in 1962. On the land, it stretches south to the oases of Liwa where some of the world’s largest sand dunes can be found , and east to the ancient oasis of Al Ain. This makes Abu Dhabi the largest as well as the most populated of all the emirates. Today over 120 million trees have been planted in the emirate of Abu Dhabi alone.