Essential Abu Dhabi

I was waiting for 70 years for this moment,” a Peruvian lady was shouting with joy, after her children started taking photos of her riding a camel. It was our third day at Abu Dhabi and we had just reached the restaurant where we were supposed to have dinner after our desert safari.
While the six vehicles that took us for the safari started cooling off after the exciting ride some visitors started riding camels, others started taking photos or riding desert bikes.
Meanwhile Bhusan dai and his team were busy capturing the desert in this camera. Neeraz and I took a chance to ride camel.
Now it felt like we were in a desert otherwise for two days we only saw skyscrapers and greenery in the middle of the Persian Gulf, where it once was a desert.
Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the richest city in the world is celebrating Essential Abu Dhabi 2011 to place it on the global tourism map and we were a part of that celebration.
One of the seven states of the UAE, Abu Dhabi sits on one tenth of the planet’s oil but still foreigners couldn’t find it on a map. But the place is on its way to change its image with many new projects like Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum, Mesopotamia, shopping malls and of course Ferrari World.
Our itinerary had Ferrari World on the fourth day. We have had heard of the fastest roller coaster at the Ferrari World that could give complex to those in Essel World and Disneyland. After enjoying the Ferrari store with much passion and excitement through more than 20 exhilarating and educational rides and attractions plus interactive shopping, Bidhan, Tshering and I headed towards the roller coaster.
Tshering and I wanted to sit in the front seat of the roller coaster however two foreigners, who were there in the queue before us objected.
The one minute ride in the fastest roller coaster was definitely once in a lifetime experience that shook all the riders. The two foreigners in the front row were in worse condition.
While five minutes ago they were arguing with us for the front seats now they were literally shaking and regretting for not letting us take those seats.
The fastest roller coaster also symbolises Abu Dhabi’s zeal to move fast and be in the list of top holiday destination along with Singapore, Tokyo and naturally, Dubai, another state of the UAE that is more popular in the world.
Though Abu Dhabi doesn’t like to be compared with Dubai it’s on the way to give Dubai — that is at a two hours drive — a tough competition in some years as it has the oil reserves and the financial cushion to sit back and watch the Dubai experiment.
The capital of UAE is changing and changing fast, dozens of its islands are soon going to sprout skyscrapers, hotels, museums, hospitals and factories, and could become one of the most favoured destinations for Nepali migrant workers.
“In this hotel itself we have 50 Nepalis workers,” said one of the Nepali employees at the hotel where we were enjoying the cool breeze one late evening by the pool side. “Apart from the salary and perks the living condition is better here,” he briefed us as he talked excitedly to us for almost half an hour. He was either happy to meet people from his country in this far away land after long time or he just wanted to impress us.
Another Nepali worker, a woman — working for the Group Four security company — whom we met at the Mesopotamia, the museum of ancient civilisation, also told us that they have nice pay and perks along with accommodation.
One day during Shisha (hukkah) session — a popular evening time pass among the Arabs after dinner — I was discussing with the Corporate Communications

Manager of our host Etihad Airways, Taryam Al Subaihi about the current unrest in the Arab world that was basically fuelled by the youth unemployment. “Will it impact migrant workers and especially Nepali migrant workers,” I asked him.
Taryam opined that the UAE might not witness a similar situation. “Especially Abu Dhabi has less unemployment rate,” he said, releasing the smoke of flavoured Shisha.
“We have come up with many projects in the recent years and our youths are getting more job opportunities”, he said, giving example of many projects that the Abu Dhabi is planning to finish by 2020. He invited us to Etihad Airlines headquarters the next morning. The airline was set up by a Royal Decree in July 2003, with Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, as its hub.
It started commercial operations in November 2003. It has a fleet of 57 aircraft – Airbus A300, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A380, Boeing 767, Boeing 777 – that fly to 44 destinations around the world including Kathmandu. After coming out of the Etihad headquarters, Bhusan Dai and I were comparing it with our national flag carrier Nepal Airlines.
Established in July 1958 as Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC), today Nepal Airlines Corporation has two age-old Boeings 757s – that fly to seven international destinations – and five Twin Otters, of which only two Twin Otters are in operations currently flying to 19 destinations in the country.

What a comparison!!!