Abu Dhabi is one of the largest cities in the
United Arab Emirates, second only to Dubai. It also serves as the capital city of the Abu Dhabi Emirate, which is the largest Emirate of all the seven United Arab Emirates. With a beautiful location on an island off the Persian Gulf, Abu Dhabi is the seat of the UAE, and it hosts government offices, both local and federal.
Abu Dhabi has a stunning modern cityscape complete with large malls and massive mega centers, owing to its thriving oil and commerce industry.
There are many places to visit while in Abu Dhabi, like the Heritage Village with its oasis-like theme that features stalls stocking Arabian craftwork, or the famous Yas Island that is known for its massive roller coaster for fun and water activities. The evenings and early mornings can be spent at the magnificent beachfront for the most scenic, natural views of the city.
Abu Dhabi experiences a typical hot desert climate, characterized by high temperature all year long with very scarce rainfall, even with its convenient location on the Persian Gulf.
During summer, from
June to
September, Abu Dhabi experiences the highest temperatures, occasionally going up as high as 45°C (113°F) on the hottest days, especially in
August. This time is also the driest period of the year with no single rainfall episode reported, yet the daily sunshine hours average ten and a half per day! Summer comes with its fair share of hazards, the major ones being the recurrent sandstorms that have been known to reduce visibility to only a few meters at most.
Winter runs from
December to
February, and it is characterized by lower temperature often ranging between mild and warm. Generally, the temperature ranges between 18°C (64.4°F) and 20°C (68°F) during this period. Being cool does not, however, mean that Abu Dhabi receives a lot of rainfall. The rain gauge during winter reads an average of 11mm (0.4") only, with not more than two rainfall days on average per month. What is more, the sunshine hours per day average eight, making the winter days mildly warm and very pleasant.
Both spring and autumn are varied, with both recording warm and pleasant weather that is devoid of the extreme weather conditions of both summer and winter. Spring and autumn come with their fair share of seasonal beauty and are both excellent times to tour the city.
The peak travel period in Abu Dhabi is between
October and Mid-
May, from autumn through winter to spring. Visitors prefer these times because they are highly tolerable and the extreme summer scotch is gone. Spring comes with stunning scenic views of the cherry blossoms that make the parks and gardens beautiful and scented. Autumn brings the beauty of the fall to Abu Dhabi and leaves everything looking golden-brown. Picnicking and sightseeing are the major activities during these months.
In
March, Abu Dhabi holds its annual Abu Dhabi Festival to celebrate the arts and crafts industries, and the Abu Dhabi Film Festival in October to celebrate and award the pioneers of the industry. Other popular events to attend in Abu Dhabi include the Muslim festivals of Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha whose dates vary depending with the calendar.