Planning Abu Dhabi: An Urban History Reem Bani Hashim Alamira

Abu Dhabi's urban development path contrasts sharply with its exuberant neighbour, Dubai. to manifest its role and stature as a capital city'.Alamira Reem, a native Abu Dhabian and urban planner and researcher who has studied the emirate's development for more than a decade, is uniquely placed to write its urban history. As Alamira Reem puts it, Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates since 1971, 'has been quietly devising its own plans ...

Based on archival research, key interviews and Following the introduction and description of Abu Dhabi's early modern history, she focuses on three distinct periods dating from the discovery of oil in 1960, and coinciding with periods in power of the three rulers since then: Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1960-1966), Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1966-2004), and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (2004-).