From rags to riches: The story of Abu Dhabi - Witness History, BBC World Service
Summary
TLDRAbu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has transformed from a fishing village with no fresh water or electricity to one of the world's richest cities, largely due to oil discoveries in the 1960s. Sheikh Zayed's vision led to the development of infrastructure and the unification of the sheikhdoms into the UAE, overcoming challenges like the British military's withdrawal. Today, the city thrives, thanks to the leadership and resourceful utilization of its wealth.
Takeaways
- 🏙️ Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is recognized as one of the world's richest cities.
- 💧 The city faces a significant water scarcity issue, with residents having to purchase purified sea water due to the lack of fresh water sources.
- 🏖️ Despite having beaches, there is no proper sewage system, leading to the rulers' beaches being used as communal lavatories.
- 🎣 Historically, Abu Dhabi was a fishing village with a basic existence, lacking basic amenities like water and electricity.
- 📦 In the 1960s, the discovery of oil in the Persian Gulf dramatically changed Abu Dhabi's economic landscape.
- 👑 Sheikh Zayed's leadership post-1966 was pivotal, as he opened up the country and initiated the construction of schools, hospitals, and roads, improving living conditions.
- 🇬🇧 The British military, which had defended Abu Dhabi for 150 years, was withdrawing, leaving the region vulnerable.
- 🤝 Sheikh Zayed had a vision to unite the sheikhdoms into one country, which he pursued by meeting with rulers and convincing them over a period of 40 years.
- 🗓️ On December 2, 1971, the United Arab Emirates was formed, marking a significant milestone in the region's history.
- 💰 The wealth generated from oil and the vision of Sheikh Zayed convinced the sheikhdoms to unite, leading to the prosperous nation we see today.
- 🙏 The speaker expresses gratitude for the changes brought about by the oil discovery and the leadership of Sheikh Zayed, which has elevated their living standards from what would have been akin to the 18th century.
Q & A
What is the current status of Abu Dhabi in terms of wealth?
-Abu Dhabi is one of the richest cities in the world.
What was the primary resource that led to the transformation of Abu Dhabi's economy?
-The discovery and exploitation of oil reserves in the 1960s played a significant role in Abu Dhabi's economic transformation.
What was the living condition of Abu Dhabi before the oil boom?
-Before the oil boom, Abu Dhabi was a fishing village with basic existence, lacking fresh water and electricity, with many inhabitants living in tents.
How did Sheik Zayed contribute to the development of Abu Dhabi after the oil discovery?
-Sheik Zayed had a vision that led to the opening of the country, the construction of schools, hospitals, and roads, making life more bearable.
What challenge did Abu Dhabi face after the British military left?
-Abu Dhabi faced the challenge of defending itself and maintaining peace without the support of the British military, which had been present for 150 years.
What was Sheik Zayed's plan to address the security concerns after the British withdrawal?
-Sheik Zayed's plan was to unite all the sheikhdoms into one new country, the United Arab Emirates, to strengthen their collective security and stability.
How long did it take for Sheik Zayed to convince the rulers to unite and form the United Arab Emirates?
-It took Sheik Zayed approximately 40 years to convince the rulers to unite and form the United Arab Emirates.
What was the date when the United Arab Emirates was officially formed?
-The United Arab Emirates was officially formed on December 2, 1971.
What was the main factor that convinced the rulers to unite under the United Arab Emirates?
-The rulers were convinced by Sheik Zayed's means to spend and the development he had brought to Abu Dhabi.
How has the discovery of oil affected the daily life of the people in Abu Dhabi?
-The discovery of oil has significantly improved the daily life of the people in Abu Dhabi, transforming it from a basic existence to one of the world's richest cities.
What was the initial reaction to the first shipment of oil leaving Abu Dhabi?
-The first shipment of oil leaving Abu Dhabi wasn't considered a big deal initially; the real change came after 1966 when Sheik Zayed took over.
Outlines
🏙️ Abu Dhabi's Transformation and Oil Discovery
The script introduces Abu Dhabi as the capital of the United Arab Emirates and one of the world's richest cities. It contrasts the current prosperity with the past, when Abu Dhabi lacked fresh water and basic amenities, with half of the population living in tents. The discovery of oil in the 1960s and the leadership of Sheik Zayed marked a turning point, leading to significant development in infrastructure and public services. The narrative emphasizes the transformation from a basic existence to a modern city due to oil wealth and visionary leadership.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Abu Dhabi
💡United Arab Emirates
💡Distillation plant
💡Oil fields
💡Sheik Zayed
💡British military
💡Persian Gulf
💡Fishing village
💡Tents
💡Drainage
💡Vision
Highlights
Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and one of the world's richest cities.
Abu Dhabi had no fresh water and people had to buy purified seawater.
There was no drainage system, leading to beaches being used as communal toilets.
Inhabitants lived in a fishing village with no water or electricity, in basic existence.
Half of the population lived in tents, including the speaker's family.
The 1960s marked a significant change for Abu Dhabi with the discovery of oil.
Abu Dhabi's oil fields became a significant part of the world's oil supply.
Sheik Zayed's leadership after 1966 led to the development of schools, hospitals, and roads.
Life in Abu Dhabi became more bearable following Sheik Zayed's vision.
The British military's departure left Abu Dhabi and its neighbors vulnerable.
Sheik Zayed had a plan to unite the sheikhdoms into one country.
Not all rulers were initially supportive of the idea of unification.
Sheik Zayed spent 40 years convincing the rulers to unite.
On December 2, 1971, the United Arab Emirates was formed.
The rulers were convinced by Sheik Zayed's wealth and vision for Abu Dhabi.
Fifty years later, Abu Dhabi has become one of the world's richest cities.
The speaker expresses gratitude for the transformative changes in Abu Dhabi.
Transcripts
This is Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates...
and one of the richest cities in the world.
But it's not always been like this...
Abu Dhabi has no fresh water. People take cans to the distillation plant and buy purified sea water.
There's no drainage so the rulers' beaches are used as a communal lavatory.
We had nothing. No water, no electricity, we are living in a fishing village on basic existence.
Half of the inhabitants live in tents, including our family. How can you be happy living on the sand?
But in the 1960s, everything changed.
A large part of the world's oil supplies comes from the Persian Gulf and now a sixth and a new
name Abu Dhabi is being added to the list of oil fields. it wasn't such a big deal when the
It wasn't such a big deal when the
first shipment of oil left. The real change came after 1966 when Sheik Zayed took over. He
had a vision, he opened the country up and he started building schools, hospitals, roads.
Life started becoming more bearable.
But Abu Dhabi faced another challenge.
The British military, which had defended Abu Dhabi...
and it's neighbours for 150 years was leaving...
and Sheikh Zayed felt vulnerable.
The troops are to go. The treaties are to be reviewed and these Gulf Coast
States perched precariously on the edge of Saudi Arabia will be left behind to fend for themselves.
The British had kept the peace between the rulers.
Sheikh Zayed had a plan...
to bring all the sheikhdoms into one new country...
but not everyone was keen.
He used to travel to the rulers, meet with them, try to convince them. Oh I took him 40 years.
Finally, on 2 December 2971, the states came together...
to form a new country...
the United Arab Emirates.
What convinced them is that Sheikh Zayed had the means to spend and they saw what he did to Abu Dhabi emirate.
Fifty years on, Abu Dhabi is one of the richest cities in the world.
Oh I thank God for that change because
if it wasn't for that change we'd probably be living in the 18th century.
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