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Climate change and global warming, coupled with population growth and increasing urbanisation, are just some of the environmental factors depleting the natural resources of countries across the world and affecting the earth’s natural balance. In Abu Dhabi, where average temperatures run from 22.9°C to 35°C, reaching as high as 50°C in summer months, and where average rainfall is just 81.4 mm per year, environmental protection and sustainability are particularly vital to future growth, and have become key pillars in the authorities’ development agenda. Population growth is expected to put additional strain on food and water supplies in the future as well as increase demand for jobs and housing. This chapter contains an interview with Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary-General, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi.

The last 10 years have seen Abu Dhabi’s visitor appeal grow rapidly thanks to the government’s prioritisation of tourism and culture as part of the emirate’s long-term strategy for economic diversification. With an array of high-end accommodation already in place and Louvre Abu Dhabi shining as the emirate’s latest addition to a growing number of attractions, sector authorities are looking to further expand offerings by developing new segments such as cruise tourism, medical tourism and ecotourism, as well as by continuing to develop and promote Abu Dhabi’s identity as a destination for authentic cultural and historical experiences. This chapter contains interviews with Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi; and Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.

A regional pioneer in the provision of both health care and medical insurance, Abu Dhabi continued to lay the foundations in 2018 for a more robust model of primary care and achieved new milestones in transplant surgery. Driven by the construction of new hospitals, clinics and specialised facilities, there is a strong pipeline of public and private sector investment in new facilities, especially regarding specialised care. The health system’s administrators have worked hard over the last decade to fill capacity shortages and attract qualified human resources, acknowledging that more can be done to ensure the achievement of the level of health care services envisaged in Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. This chapter contains interviews with Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman, Department of Health; and Dr Gareth Goodier, Group CEO, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company.

Billions of dirhams are being spent each year on education in Abu Dhabi by the emirate’s leaders, investors and families, with the aim of equipping new generations with the skills necessary to lead the transformation of the public and private sectors, and drive the development of a knowledge-based economy. Standards in schools and universities are closely monitored to ensure a quality learning environment for young citizens and residents, and efforts have been made to attract well-known international institutions in the tertiary and private school segments to open campuses in Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi authorities have also focused on improving public schools, colleges and universities. This chapter contains an interview with Jameela Salem Al Muhairi, Minister of State for General Education.

Sixty years after Abu Dhabi’s first oil discovery at the Murban Bab oilfield, industry is proving to be an engine of growth and economic diversification in 2019, as Emirati entrepreneurs explore and nurture new opportunities to reduce reliance on the volatile energy sector. Their efforts to diversify include vertical development into downstream industries such as petrochemicals, plastics and by-products like sulphur; horizontal moves into energy-intensive manufacturing of steel and aluminium that in turn feeds production clusters; and lateral shifts into the technologies of the future that are expected to shape the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This chapter contains interviews with Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, CEO, Senaat; and Abdulla Jassem Kalban, Managing Director and CEO, Emirates Global Aluminium.

Although it has become a strong contributor to economic diversification, Abu Dhabi’s real estate sector is being put under pressure by slower growth, brought on by low global oil prices that started in 2014. Spending cuts since 2015 have been reflected in capital value, with rental rates declining to their lowest levels since 2013. However, the slowdown has masked encouraging developments in the sector, with a series of Abu Dhabi government reforms unveiled in 2015 with a view on protecting against the emergence of another property bubble. Private developers are becoming more responsive to market demand with regard to product offering, and have begun exploring alternative projects, such as real estate investment trusts and joint ventures. This chapter contains interviews with Talal Al Dhiyebi, CEO, Aldar; and Falah Al Ahbabi, Chairman, Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities.