Hello Steemit world😃
As I promised sometime ago, I am back with a special post about my trip in the Persian Gulf.
I was there early February, on a business trip. At the end of it, I had a couple of days off and combining them with the Emiratis weekend (Friday and Saturday) I ended up having enough time to visit some familiar places in the Arabic Peninsula .
The post today will be primarily dedicated to the truest 1001 fairytale place in the world....Abu Dhabi but also Ras Al Khaimah a historic city, that most of you, probably have never even heard of!!
Abu Dhabi is the capital and the second most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (the most populous being Dubai) and means "father of the gazelle"! So you understand that years ago Gazelles were everywhere here in abundance!
It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the largest of the UAE's seven emirates and the home to the Abu Dhabi Emiri Family the Al Nahyan family and the President of the UAE.
Abu Dhabi accounts for about two-thirds of the roughly $400-billion United Arab Emirates economy. Abu Dhabi is the wealthiest emirate of the UAE in terms of Gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita income. Taxation in Abu Dhabi, as in the rest of the UAE, is nil for a resident and for a non-bank, non-oil company.
So are you ready for the usual History lesson? 😊
In the 19th century, as a result of treaties (known as "truces" which gave the coast its name) entered into between Great Britain and the sheikhs of the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, Britain became the predominant influence in the area. The main purpose of British interest was to protect the trade route to India from pirates, hence the earlier name for the area, the "Pirate Coast". After piracy was suppressed, other considerations came into play, such as a strategic need of the British to exclude other powers from the region.
Lawrence of Arabia was based on this specific period….
Following their withdrawal from India in 1947, the British maintained their influence in Abu Dhabi as interest in the oil potential of the Persian Gulf grew.
First oil discoveries...
Did you know that the Persian Gulf was the best location for pearls back in the start of the 20th century? After the pearl trade declined in the 1930s, interest grew in the oil possibilities of the region.
On 5 January 1936, Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) Ltd (PDTC), an associate company of the Iraq Petroleum Company, entered into a concession agreement with the ruler, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan al Nahyan, to explore for oil. The company that was created to operate the concession: Abu Dhabi Marine Areas (ADMA) was a joint venture between BP and Compagnie Française des Pétroles (later Total).
The sharp increase in oil prices following the October 1973 War, which accompanied a change in the relationship between the oil countries and foreign oil companies, leading to a dramatic rise in oil revenues.
As a result to the interest of the westerners in the Gulf Area, Abu Dhabi has a diverse and multicultural society. Europeans, Asians and Americans are everywhere here.
This unique socioeconomic development in the Persian Gulf has meant that Abu Dhabi is generally more tolerant than its neighbours, including Saudi Arabia.
Having lived in both Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, I can also confirm that these two, even though neighbours, they are worlds apart!!
In Abu Dhabi and in the whole area of the Emirates, there is a more cosmopolitan atmosphere that is a fact! But make no mistake and take their tolerance for granted; if you show disrespect to them, you might end up behind bars! But why would you go and disrespect others in the first place, especially people that are your kind hosts.
A few basic tips I can give you if you travel in the Arabic Peninsula:
- During the big religious fasting periods, is good to respect that and not eat in the middle of the street during the day.
- As for alcohol consuming, all good hotels allow expats to drink liquor but it is not sold widely outside the hotels, as in its more liberal neighbour Dubai.
A few more, that will make your life easier with the climate conditions!
Abu Dhabi, as the whole of the Arabic peninsula, is HOT and HUMID! Here, I have seen-more than once- locals boiling eggs in the palm of their hands!!
- Dress with loose, light colored clothing that is respectful to the Arabic culture. You know the formal Golf Club rules; think of Colonial days and retro style…
- Covering your head with hats and large silk and cotton shawls is a clever move.
- Drink lots of water and fluids that are in lukewarm temperature so the body can adjust to the heat of the temperature you are to be exposed.
- Apply on your face (at all times) and body the highest SPF you can find and reapply every 10 minutes maximum!! I did the mistake once to reapply after half an hour; you see I forgot it while swimming and I got second degree burns all over my face with terrible pains! My skin felt like the desert, I had to have a full medication treatment (injections included😔😱) for a month and thank God it left me with no scars as the doctors initially feared. Three months later, visiting home Greece, I was still so dark that my family didn’t recognize me at the airport lol!
Now, another favourite topic of mine; Architecture!
Abu Dhabi's skyscrapers such as the notable Etihad Towers Dhabi, that houses Etihad Airways, the second largest airline in the United Arab Emirates and annually, one of the best in the world since it was created.
The Etihad Towers and Emirates Palace Hotel were some of the city's landmarks used as filming locations for the movie Furious 7.
Bellow a picturesque view of the Etihad towers from within The Grand Mosque.....our next stop 😘!
Now, coming to the jewel of the crown…The Grand Mosque! The Grand Mosque is one of the most important architectural treasures of contemporary UAE society—and one of the most opulent in the world. It was initiated by the late president of the United Arab Emirates, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, fondly thought of as the father of the UAE.
Bellow some incredible night shots! I had a really difficult time selecting the photos since they were all magnificent!
It was designed by Syrian architect Yousef Abdelky. The building complex measures approximately 290 by 420 m (950 by 1,380 ft), covering an area of more than 12 hectares (30 acres), excluding exterior landscaping and vehicle parking. The main axis of the building is rotated about 11° south of true west, aligning it in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
More than 3,000 workers and 38 contracting companies took part in the construction of the mosque. Natural materials were chosen for much of its design and construction due to their long-lasting qualities, including marble, stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals and ceramics. Construction began on 5 November 1996 and finished in 2007.
Its design and construction reportedly 'unites the world', using artisans and materials from many countries including Italy, Germany, Morocco, Pakistan, India, Turkey, Iran, China, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates and Greece. I have friends that are here on a contract, until 2030, for the planned development.
It was in 2017 that the Mosque was renamed Mariam Umm Eisa, the mosque of Mary, mother of Jesus at the initiative of the Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. A movement with symbolism which resulted the first ever official visit of a Christian leader to the Arab world and that certainly was an event to attend!
Looking to the future
You see Abu Dhabi, under the guidance of Sheikh Zayed by Japanese architect Katsuhiko Takahashi in 1967 was initially planned for a population of 40,000 but by 2016 it was already 1.8 million. According to the insiders, Abu Dhabi will look unrecognizable until 2030.
The good thing though is that they plan to keep and enhance the 1001 fairytale like beauty they have without trying to alter it to a new Las Vegas or Hong Kong!
Heading towards Abu Dhabi Louvre....
My personal note to all of this is that the Al Nanyan family is the smartest of all the Arabic leaders. They sense the wind of change, they feel the vibes and they have no complexes in order to adjust and move forward by managing to keep their inheritance intact!
That’s the material true leaders are made of!
I mentioned earlier on, that Furius 7 had scenes at the Etihad Towers (you know parkou-ring with cars from one tower to the other 🤦🤦♀️) but also inside the Emirates Palace; as you can understand, that never happened😄! They would never get permition to utterly destroy the most expensive hotel in the world when it was built (second to Marina Bay Sands in Singapore now, nevertheless, still the most luxurious in the world and one of the most beautiful ones I have ever seen) but at least...they were here to make the featured scenes!
Because you see, there have been other films advertised as being"located" here but truth be told, they never stepped foot on the Emirates; like Sex and the City 2.
You can see the real Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi in my videos bellow….
The real location of the film was Morocco, since they were declined permission to shoot in the Emirates.You can also hear the noise of my heels lol... my lovely bejeweled Caovilla sandals that were matching the surroundings to perfection 😉!
The Majestic Dome Interior of the Emirates Palace Hotel! Lush, PURE GOLD everywhere you look, combined with SILVER in the details!!
CNN's look on the Emirate's Palace...
Other major events in Abu Dhabi include:
The Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference.
Last but not least, Abu Dhabi is a Sports Paradise!
Since 2009, Abu Dhabi has hosted a Formula One race every year in November at the Yas Marina Circuit 💋
On my way to Yas Marina!
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam since MMA is very popular !
Finally, Football is the king of all sports, similar to the rest of the world, followed by Cricket. Zayed Sports City in the video bellow, hosts one of the four football stadiums of Abu Dhabi along with many other sports facilities.
So after Abu Dhabi, I headed East, towards Ras Al Khaimah, another hidden gem, far away from the spotlights of the modern UAE world.
My friends, who are all residents here, are very familiar with the climate conditions and the fast changes of the weather nowdays so they said to me: "Don't go today; it will be a sandstorm later in the day". It has been years since I was residing here but in a strange way, it feels like I never left. So I guess that's the reason why I didn't pay much attention to their warning; instead I just replied: "I've done it all before, I'll be fine 😊", you see, I always have faith in my driving abilities lol👩✈️ and I started my journey!
So the weather looked like this, as you see in the photo bellow and bear in mind, the previous day it was heavy rains and thunders!
The building you see in the photo is the new Fairmont Hotel in Abu Dhabi.So the weather looked like it would be very sandy; but in the open highway and with the extremely fast car I was driving, the 246 km would take me less than an hour.
Or so I thought ......and to cut a long (very long and quite funny) story short, I ended up stopping over for the night in superabundant Dubai...
Where next morning I got some flowers from FOREVER ROSE, a flower shop where you can get roses that live up to 3 YEARS!!...like the ones you see bellow!
I also did some shopping at the Dubai Mall, part of the Burj Khalifa Complex. Bellow, you can see me wearing a dress I bought, that was completely out of a magical carpet theme! 💜💜💜You know........
And of course, I stock up on my favourite perfume oils.....
Later on, continuing my trip with clear blue skies, I reached Ras Al Khaimah.
As soon as I got there I went to the local Souk to get my favourite organic essential oils, quite scarce perfume ingredients and different types of incense I love, that I can only get here.
I won't even post photos of those because this post is already gigantic and for the perfumes and incense alone, I could make another king-sized post!😘
Well, maybe just a couple of photos, of the incense that smells (I know I am getting into perfume review world here lol).... Godly and stays in the house for hours and hours and has this amazing ability of eliminating heavy smells (e.g. from cooking sometimes) like nothing else in the world!! It's made of the purest of ingredients as you can understand and of course, I have to show you the incense spoons, that are truly a work of art; gold plated, hand engraved and all... splendour at its best!!
They even have their own Iceland in the desert ....
Fortress in Al Jazeera Al Hamra bellow!
Ras Al Khaimah, a historical place full of Fortresses (that go back in the early 19th Century when the Arabs were under attack by the British) and lush Oasis in the middle of the desert....
Ras Al Khaimah or "RAK City", was originally a tidal island and, by 1830, was home to some 200 people mostly occupied in pearl fishing. At the time, it was a dependency of Sharjah.
Jazirah Al Hamrah maintained a fleet of some 25 pearling boats, the principle source of income for the tribe until the crash of the pearl market in the late 1920s.
Bellow, Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Ras Al Khaimah from distance...
Rixos Bab Al Bahr from distance!Finally, reaching my hotel, Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah!Later on, while at Rixos Bab Al Bahr, I went swimming and relaxed while catching up with friends!
Watching the route of the sun, while listening Oum Kalthoum in remix... 💗