Al Gharbia Guide
Al Gharbia Guide
Al Gharbia is an oasis of stunning natural beauty at the Emirate
of Abu Dhabi. Within its vast edges extending between the desert
and the sea, it hosts seven major cities: Liwa, Madinat Zayed
Ghayathi, Ruwais, Mirfa Sila and Delma Island. Al Gharbia
occupies a vast area of 60 thousand square kilometers and
constitutes 60% of the total area of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
It is characterized by its natural resources and wealth, such as
the palm trees, pearls, oil, gas and solar energy.
Al Gharbia is home to the world’s highest sand dunes and natural
shores extending along 350 km, making it the meeting point of
the desert and the sea. Moreover, it hosts the rarest wildlife
in the UAE. It offers a variety of activities, such as water
sports and desert camps under the lights of glittering stars. al
Gharbia is also characterized by maintaining the values of the
Arabian traditional lifestyle and culture, while succeeding in
integrating it into modern luxury and amenities. Al Gharbia
offers opulent hotels and resorts overlooking the sea, thus
turning it into a perfect tourist destination for visitors from
inside and outside the UAE, especially due to its proximity to
the borders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
In light of its plans to promote the social and economic
development, the Western Region Development Council has adopted
an idea to develop the area that has become known today as "Al
Gharbia" in both Arabic and English. In addition to its
prominent position as an integral part of the Emirate of Abu
Dhabi, has become a place enjoying unique identity, values,
culture, heritage and Bedouin origins blending with modernity,
not to mention its numerous merits qualifying it to receive
millions of tourists who flow to the Middle East each year.
Visas
All visitors to the UAE need entrance visas, except for citizens
of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Some nationalities,
including citizens of the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan and
most of the European union countries, are granted visit visas
automatically for a 30-day period upon arrival to the airport.
All other nationalities can get a 30-day tourist visa sponsored
by a local hotel or a tourism company before entering the
country. Visitors by land from Qatar or Bahrain need, in
addition to the documents of their vehicles and passports,
entrance visas to pass through the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to
be obtained while in Qatar and Bahrain. A travel agent can be
used for getting the visas on behalf of the travelers which
takes approximately a week to be issued.
Getting to Al Gharbia
Al Gharbia is located on the western side of the Emirate of Abu
Dhabi and can be easily reached by car from Abu Dhabi
International Airport. The airport receives many direct flights
from most of the world capitals as a result of the vital
location of the United Arab Emirates between Africa, Asia and
Europe. The journey to destinations such as the United Kingdom
takes only 7 hours, Frankfurt takes 6 hours, Hong Kong takes 8
hours, and Nairobi takes 4 hours. Five and four stars hotels
receive local and international visitors and their
transportation from the airport directly to their hotel is
usually arranged. Visitors can also drive slowly to enjoy the
magnificent sceneries along the road or rent cars from any of
the international car rental companies located directly in front
of the airport gates. All you need is a passport and a driving
license.
Al Gharbia is in the Western region of Abu Dhabi, and is a
comfortable drive from Abu Dhabi's international airport. If you
The Abu Dhabi Department of Transport is establishing a new
airport that links Al Gharbia to the remaining parts of the UAE
as to ensure easy access of visitors to all Al Gharbia cities,
especially with 250 thousand visitors entering Al Gharbia
through Abu Dhabi airport on a yearly basis. There is a
sustainable transportation plan, under which 3 billion USD will
be invested for providing short flights as a vital means for
transporting tourists to their destinations and assuring the
alignment with the tourism sector plans.
Getting Around in Al Gharbia
You can roam most parts of Al Gharbia using a normal two
wheel-drive car, but if you wish to explore the whole area you
have to use a 4x4 vehicle. In case you don't have a private car
or any plans for renting a car, you can depend on public buses
or a taxi which transports passengers to and from Dubai, Abu
Dhabi and the rest of the emirates.
Cruise journeys from Jebel Al Dhana to Delma Islands and Sir
Bani Yas can be easily arranged. Two modern vessels
characterized by the highest standards of safety, speed and
comfort were launched in 2010, the capacity of each is about 30
to 50 cars and more than 200 passengers. They are also fully
equipped to offer their services to passengers with
disabilities. The two vessels make three journeys a day both
ways, and the journey takes 90 minutes. Bani Yas vessel departs
from a luxurious departure hall and the journey takes 15 minutes
to reach the island. For adventurers and sea-riders, they can
rent a fishing boat, or rent a boat for short journeys to
various neighboring islands.
Abu Dhabi’s Government is currently developing the region’s
public transportation network to fulfill the needs of the
increased number of visitors and residents. In this framework,
the main land transportation plan was developed as a part of the
long term Abu Dhabi 2030 Development Plan which includes an
integrated scheme that covers the whole emirate.