A cosmopolitan city; it has seen a lot of development and urbanization in the past few decades making it one of the most important centers in the Middle East. Another urban city of the region is Al 'Ain, which is also called as the Garden City.
Finding a Masjid in Abu Dhabi is never a problem; there are plenty of Masaajid all over the region. The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the third largest Masjid in the world and it occupies the area from Mussafah Bridge to the Maqtaa Bridge. The other important Masaajid include Zayed Mosque, Sheikh Khalifa Mosque, Hazza Bin Zayed Mosque, Omeir Bin Yousuf Mosque and the Gold Souk Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
Halal food is easily available all around the city; from traditional Arabic cuisines to fast food and international cuisines. As in many other cities across the Middle East the halalness of the food is assured by the outlets themselves; as there is no widespread practice of independent Halal certification authority. There are controls and checks done at the customs when the food products enter the country.
Visitors would love the Al Maqtaa Fort, which is a 200-year old fort. The Bateen Shipyard is another interesting place to visit; here one can see how dhow vessels are built with traditional techniques. The Heritage Village located at the center of the city of Abu Dhabi and has been designed in the form of the living museum showcasing the past of the country and the local traditions.
The Khalifa Park is the best place where you can relax and have some family fun. The park has a maritime museum, a theme park, monorail, an Amphitheatre, time tunnel ride, Masjid and also an Islamic themed garden.
The Old Airport Garden is another great place to relax and enjoy some marvelous views of the sea. The Chronicle Park on the eastern part of the Abu Dhabi Island is a perfect place for bird watching and fishing. Qasr al-Hosn or the White Fort is also one of the important monuments of the region. Even though the fort is not open to the public but visitors would love the opportunity to take pictures of this marvelous fort.
Some of the museums that may interest visitors to Abu Dhabi include the Women's Handicraft Center, The Petroleum Exhibition in Abu Dhabi and the Al Ain Museum that has great archaeological and ethnographical collections.
In Al Ain children would love to visit the Hili Fun City, a theme park that has several rides and fun games. The Al Ain Zoo & Aquarium is also another place that attracts the youngsters.
Abu Dhabi is a great place for shoppers. Visitors can enjoy the shopping centers and the traditional Arab souqs (markets) that are scattered all around the region. In Al Ain the Camel Market is a quite popular. The Old Souq in Abu Dhabi is the oldest market of the city and sells almost everything.
There are several high-end malls in the region including the Abu Dhabi Mall, Al Ain Mall, Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi Duty Free Complex, the Madinat Zayed Shopping & Gold Center and the Marina Mall.
