UAE: Abu Dhabi

The year 2009 saw Abu Dhabi avoid the worst of the global financial crisis, lay out long-term economic plans, buttress its credentials as a home for green technologies and make noteworthy inroads into the global tourism market.

Abu Dhabi's tourism sector is buoyant following the inaugural Abu Dhabi Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix, which marked a milestone in the emirate's development, promoted the capital internationally and gave its hospitality sector a welcome fillip.

Although the insurance industry in Abu Dhabi has felt the effects of the global economy, downturns in regional equity markets and a slump in construction activity, it still presents opportunities for growth.

Abu Dhabi can afford to look forward to a promising year given evidence indicating an increasingly robust economy, despite mixed results for the broader UAE.

As Abu Dhabi's leadership visited Washington to solidify US support for their nuclear power plans, government officials in the emirate delayed the tendering of the project in order to give bidders more time.

Like the majority of stock markets around the world, the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has endured an element of uncertainty since the onset of the global financial crisis. However, with the index on an 11-week high, and positive trading signals for the first half of the year, the capital's bourse can look to the future with a degree of optimism.