Things to Do in Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (B)

On our final morning in Abu Dhabi, we set off on a city tour with Arabian Adventures. Unfortunately for us, it was a very foggy morning, typical of winter in the Emirate. However, the fog lifted gradually during the day and by midday, most of it had cleared up. The fog may have spoilt our photos but we still got to see city’s main sights and landmarks.

Yassine from Arabian Adventures picked us up in a comfortable coach from the Royal Rose Hotel and we set off on the tour. Our co-passengers were from Canada and Germany. Yassine was originally from Tunisia, and he was quite an entertaining and informative guide. En route to our first stop, he told us about the history of the Emirates and its rulers.

The breath-taking Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the world and can accommodate 40,000 worshippers. It is also Abu Dhabi’s most visited attraction. A magnificent sight in pristine white marble, the mosque has 82 domes, over 1000 columns, 24 carat gold gilded chandeliers and giant floral marble inlays across the expansive courtyard. It also boasts the world’s largest hand-woven carpet and one of the largest chandeliers in the world. Yassine gave us an in-depth tour of the mosque, pointing out its main features, beautiful artwork and other interesting details. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).