Abu Dhabi Webinar. Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority Paul McDonagh Country Manager, USA. Wednesday 15 th July 2015

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1 Abu Dhabi Webinar Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority Paul McDonagh Country Manager, USA Wednesday 15 th July 2015 Call-In #: 1 (650) Access Code:

2 Snapshot History Meaning Father of the Gazelle in Arabic, Abu Dhabi was founded when a young antelope led a wandering tribe to fresh water. Abu Dhabi was an empty desert inhabited by nomadic tribes with an economy based around pearl diving, fishing and date palm cultivation until the discovery of oil in 1958, which brought radical change to the emirate and its population. The Al Nahyan family has ruled Abu Dhabi since 1793 and has transformed the desert sheikhdom into the modern city you see today.

3 Where is Abu Dhabi? Distance From Abu Dhabi To: Dubai, UAE: 90 minute drive by car Abu Dhabi Cairo, Egypt: 3 hrs. 30 min. flight Amman, Jordan: 2 hrs. 35 min. flight Tangier, Morocco: 7 hrs. 29 min. flight Nairobi, Kenya: 4 hrs. 24 min. flight Doha, Qatar: 28 min flight Muscat, Oman: 40 min. flight Istanbul, Turkey: 3 hrs. 54 min. flight

4 Three Key Areas of Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi Al Ain Al Gharbia

5 Al Ain: The Oasis City Al Ain is Abu Dhabi s heritage heartland and birthplace of the Al Nayan royal family Known as the Oasis City because of its greenery and low temperature, Al Ain is where you experience a living museum of the Emirati culture Offers a look into Abu Dhabi s history through restored forts, tours of ancient burial grounds and museums Al Ain was once the home of the late Sheikh Zayed and was a hub of the emirate s political life Sheikh Zayed s first palace was converted to the Al Ain Palace Museum where you will see rare material such as portraits of the royal family Named a UNESCO World Heritage site as there are settlements known to be over 4,000 years old Here you can discover cultural pursuits such as the camel market, date farms and a traditional souk

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9 Al Gharbia: Where the Desert Meets the Sea Located on the western side of Abu Dhabi, Al Gharbia makes up over two thirds of Abu Dhabi emirate Experience: Off road driving Camel trekking Arabic barbeque Falconry Dune Bashing (dunes can reach 984 feet) Safaris Sand-boarding Traditional Arabic hospitality Numerous tour operators service the desert safari market

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13 Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara

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17 Abu Dhabi Vibrant, futuristic, cosmopolitan city Home to some of the world s greatest architecture World s only circular skyscraper World s farthest learning tower

18 Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque World s largest handmade carpet World s largest crystal chandelier Houses 40,000 worshippers Complimentary walk-in guided tours daily

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21 Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital World s largest and most advance falcon hospital in the world Daily guided tours

22 Abu Dhabi: Pearl Journey Experience Giving visitors a once-in-a-lifetime experience and understanding of Arabian Gulf s ancient pearling industry Daily guided tours aboard a Jalboot traditional pearling dhow

23 Yas Island: Abu Dhabi s Adrenaline Hotspot Just a minute drive from Abu Dhabi city, Yas Island is a mega entertainment destination and one of Abu Dhabi s most exciting new developments Yas Marina Circuit Home of Etihad Airways F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Yas Racing School and an action-packed, year-round major motorsports event calendar Yas Racing School Expert instruction is available in a variety of cars at the Yas Racing School, or bring your own car and drive the full Grand Prix circuit on the Yas track day Ferrari World Abu Dhabi The world s only Ferrari theme park that hosts the world s fastest roller coaster Yas WaterPark Try the 238-metre long, world s first and largest hydromagnetic-powered, six-person tornado waterslide and much more.

24 Saadiyat Island: Cultural Hub Just minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island is undergoing a never before seen transformation into a world class cultural hub This development will be home to the greatest concentration of premier cultural institutions In preparation for the opening of the museum projects, Saadiyat Island has welcomed the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort and Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas, Saadiyat Island

25 Louvre Abu Dhabi designed by Jean Nouvel

26 Zayed National Museum partnership with the British Museum designed by Lord Foster

27 Guggenheim Abu Dhabi designed by Frank Gehry

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29 Saadiyat Island: Cultural Hub Performing Arts Centre Maritime Museum

30 Hotels: Wide Range of Accommodations Major Hotel brands Abu Dhabi has 29,093 rooms of every range to suit your client s needs with extremely competitive room rates Jumeirah at Etihad Towers Fairmont Grand Millennium Viceroy, Hilton, Sheraton InterContinental Le Royal Meridien Park Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton Rosewood, Shangri-La Sofitel, St. Regis, Westin Grand Hyatt opening 2015 Four Seasons opening 2016

31 St. Regis Saadiyat Island

32 Emirates Palace

33 Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi

34 Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara

35 Fairmont Abu Dhabi

36 Shangri-La Abu Dhabi

37 Abu Dhabi Events

38 A Diverse Destination

39 Sample Itinerary This sample itinerary covers 3 parts of Abu Dhabi each offering a distinct experience; Abu Dhabi City (the future of Abu Dhabi) /Al Ain (the historic region) /Al Gharbia Empty Quarter (the world largest sand desert) Day 1. Arrive Abu Dhabi City, transfer to your hotel for 3 nights. Day 2. Abu Dhabi City tour to include Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Manarat Saadiyat, Yas Marina Circuit, Ferrari World Day 3. Day trip to Al Ain, the Oasis City tour to see Al Jahili Fort, Al Muatared Falaj (underground water channel), Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum, Camel Market, Historic Souq Al Qattara, Al Ain National Museum, Date Factory Day 4 & 5. Depart for Al Gharbia Desert (Empty Quarter) for 2 nights at Qasr Al Sarab to experience Arabian Dining & Entertainment in a Bedouin Tent plus host of adventure activities such as camel trekking, desert walks, dune bashing and falconry Day 6. Return to Abu Dhabi City for your final night or continue to Dubai or Oman

40 Tour Operator: Independent & Escorted Tours 2015 Cox & Kings UAE: Arabian Nights Abu Dhabi & Dubai Goway Abu Dhabi Stopover & Best of the Emirates Indus Travels Abu Dhabi Pearl of Arabia & Yas Island Stopover SITA World Tours 4 days Best of Abu Dhabi Tauck The Arabian Peninsula TRAVCOA Arabian Odyssey & Enchanting Emirates

41 Travel Tips: Abu Dhabi has year round sunny skies, but the cooler months from November to April are the most pleasant time to travel. Arabic is the official language, although English is widely spoken. Abu Dhabi has been named the Middle East s safest city in the 2011 Mercer Quality of Living Index and boasts a virtually crime free environment. It offers travelers wishing to explore Arabia a safe, progressive and tolerant option. The dress code in Abu Dhabi is generally relaxed although it is recommended for visitors to avoid wearing very revealing clothes whenever they are in public places, out of respect to local culture and traditions. USA & Canadian passport holders an get a free-of-charge entry visa upon arrival at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

42 Getting to Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi International Airport 30 km (18 miles) from Abu Dhabi downtown, minutes taxi ride New Terminal 3 with Etihad first & business class lounges and up-market retail experience US Customs & Immigration clearance in Abu Dhabi prior to departure Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi home to Etihad Airways, Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates North America: Non-stop flights from Toronto, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas Fort Worth Etihad offers services from more than 130 U.S. cities with code-share partners American Airlines and Jet Blue Airways Etihad Non-stop from Sao Paulo to Abu Dhabi

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44 Thank you Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority Trump Tower 725 Fifth Avenue Floor 22 New York, New York Phone: