The history of Abu Dhabi, from pearling village to capital

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Before the oil, there were pearls

For centuries, this coastline ran on pearls. The Bani Yas, the tribal confederation that settled Abu Dhabi island in the late 18th century, sent fleets of wooden dhows to the pearl beds every summer. Men dove without equipment, dozens of times a day, on a single breath. Hard, dangerous work, and for a while it made this coast one of the most valuable places in the Gulf.

For a ground-level look at that world, Heritage Village on the Corniche recreates the pearling settlement, barasti palm houses, working crafts and all, with the modern skyline right behind it.

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Qasr Al Hosn, the fort that started the city

Abu Dhabi began with water. Around 1761 a freshwater well was found on the island, and a watchtower went up to protect it. The tower became a fort, the fort became a palace, and Qasr Al Hosn stayed the seat of the ruling Al Nahyan family for nearly two centuries.

It's still there, coral stone against glass towers, and the contrast is the point: this building was once the whole of Abu Dhabi. The exhibition inside traces the story from settlement to oil. Give it two hours. It earns them.

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Oil, and what Sheikh Zayed did with it

Oil was found onshore in 1958 and offshore production flowed from 1962. What happened next was not inevitable. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Ruler from 1966, put the revenues into building a country: schools, hospitals, roads, housing. Within a generation, a place of palm-frond houses became a modern city.

That transformation is within living memory, and older Emiratis will tell you about it directly. The Founders Memorial captures the scale of it, with a suspended constellation of shapes that resolves into Sheikh Zayed's portrait as you move.

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Union, 2 December 1971

On 2 December 1971, six emirates signed the agreement that created the UAE; Ras Al Khaimah joined in early 1972. Sheikh Zayed became the first president, and Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate with the resources and political weight to hold a new country together, became the capital. Eid Al Etihad on 2 December is still the biggest celebration in the calendar.

Near the Grand Mosque, Wahat Al Karama honours those who died in the country's service: tilting marble panels that lean on each other without falling. The name means Oasis of Dignity, and the design says the rest.

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Al Ain, where history goes deeper

If coastal Abu Dhabi's story starts in the 18th century, Al Ain's goes back 4,000 years. The oasis city has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, and its falaj channels, oasis and Jebel Hafeet burial sites are UNESCO-listed.

It's also where Sheikh Zayed grew up and governed before ruling Abu Dhabi.

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The chapter being written now

The newest chapter of Abu Dhabi's history is about keeping all the others. On Saadiyat Island, the Louvre Abu Dhabi opened in 2017 under Jean Nouvel's rain-of-light dome, Zayed National Museum now tells the national story, and the Natural History Museum and Guggenheim sit alongside them.

A story that was passed down by memory for two centuries now has permanent buildings to hold it.

Read more about culture

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Featured
Dining
Emirati dishes and where to try them
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Culture
Emirati traditions that are still alive today
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History
The ancient world of Al Ain
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Itinerary
A cultural itinerary for Abu Dhabi

Frequently asked questions

The Bani Yas tribal confederation settled Abu Dhabi island around 1761, after a freshwater well was found there. The watchtower built to protect that well became Qasr Al Hosn, the emirate's oldest surviving structure.

Qasr Al Hosn is the best starting point in the city. Al Ain's UNESCO-listed sites span 4,000 years, Heritage Village shows life before oil, and Zayed National Museum tells the national story.

The UAE was formed on 2 December 1971, when six emirates signed the federation agreement. The settlements, trade routes and tribal histories behind it go back thousands of years.

Yes. It's one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements on the Arabian Peninsula, with Bronze Age sites and UNESCO-listed oases, and Sheikh Zayed's former residence, Al Ain Palace Museum, is open to visitors.