Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi means “Father of the gazelle”. When the first Bedouin settled on the island, there was no more than 300 palm leaf huts, named ‘Barasti’, some corals and an old castle.
Today, these humble islands are one of the most prosperous countries in the world, where luxury and elegance are connected with traditional values of hospitality and respect.
Tradition and modernity, along with the turquoise sea and the sky-blue sky, the golden sand and palm trees makes Abu Dhabi unique of its kind, a green desert with blue everywhere, from the bottom to the top ! 

Besides of the Sheikh Zayed festival, many other festivals rocks during the year! 

Al Dhafra Festival in Abu Dhabi celebrates the essence of Bedouin life, in the heart of the Empty Quarter. At the edge of the Rub’ Al Khali (Empty Quarter) desert, surrounded by towering, sand dunes, Al Dhafra Festival demonstrates community and cultural practices that have defined Bedouin life for generations. At the heart of the festival are the mazayna or camel beauty contests that involve tens of thousands of camels from across the Arabian Peninsula. It focuses on purebred breeds from the Asayel (pedigree) and Majaheem (dark-skinned) lineages. A tapestry of Events: Hundreds of men and women from tribes across the region come to Al Dhafra Festival to exhibit and compete in events that bring alive aspects of the Bedouin lifestyle. It includes purebred Arabian horse racing, Arabian Saluki dog races, falconry and handicrafts, for example, Khoos (palm frond) weaving and Talli (embroidery). Other activities include a beauty contest for sheep, date palm and packaging competitions, as well as traditional Emirati performing arts. An ancestral home as the festival is held near Madinat Zayed, the largest town in the Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi. This region is the ancestral home of the Bani Yas tribe, of which the ruling Al Nahyan family are members. Thr town carries the name of the United Arab Emirates’ first president, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the United Arab Emirates, reflecting the significance of this region to the country’s history.