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The education sector in Abu Dhabi is benefitting from targeted investments in career-relevant post-secondary programmes, as well as strong partnerships between schools and industry. Furthermore, recent K-12 curriculum reforms are aimed at building a strong base of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) undergraduates. With the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 development plan emphasising diversification and the transition to a knowledge-based economy, education will remain at the forefront of the agenda and continues to offer significant investment opportunities to private players from pre-K through to the PhD level. This chapter Hussain Al Hammadi, Minister of Education.

Al Gharbia encompasses the western part of the emirate of Abu Dhabi and, at 35,250 sq km (59% of Abu Dhabi emirate), is also larger than any other emirate in the UAE. The government’s strategy for the development of the region is laid out in Plan Al Gharbia 2030. Priority sectors for development include energy, desalination, petrochemicals, tourism and food production, with major infrastructure now under way in the form of a new motorway from Al Mafraq, near Abu Dhabi City, through Al Gharbia via Ruwais, Mirfa, Barakah and Sila, to Al Ghweifat on the Saudi border. Tourism is seen as key for the region, with various events drawing visitors including a water sports festival in Mirfa and the Liwa Date Festival, the 11th edition of which took place in July 2015. The latter attracts 70,000 people annually. This chapter contains an interview Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region.

Strong expansion in Abu Dhabi’s high-quality retail stock with a focus on added entertainment and food and beverage components has helped to draw crowds, with the emphasis on malls as destinations in themselves increasingly reflected in the proportion of space given over to food and beverage outlets, and the greater variety among concessions. Wholesale and retail trade in the emirate totalled $11.5bn in 2014 when measured at current prices. This represented annual growth of 18.3%, or 8.7% at constant prices, beating average 2.2% growth for the economy overall. Rents are expected to remain stable in the short term; however, the new malls entering in 2018 are likely to have a more marked effect on the sector, with polarisation anticipated. In particular, lower-quality malls are expected to see rents decline. This chapter contains an interview with Yousef Mohammed Rasool Khoory, CEO, Mohammed Rasool Khoory & Sons.

With proven crude oil reserves of 98bn barrels and an established downstream infrastructure, which has positioned the UAE as the sixth-largest petroleum producer in the world, the country’s industrial landscape is dominated by hydrocarbons activity. In 2014 the Investment Development Bureau identified several targets for future development, including building materials, petrochemicals, metals engineering, iron and steel, plastic, aluminium and food industries. Meanwhile, aerospace, aviation and defence, for which Abu Dhabi already has core infrastructure in place, will also be the focus of much investment over the coming years. Elsewhere specialised economic zones covering an area of 50 sq km have been developed, which taken together are the source of nearly 50% of manufacturing GDP. This chapter contains interviews with Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, Acting CEO, Senaat; and Badr Al Olama, CEO, Strata.

Real estate development in Abu Dhabi is dominated by large, mostly local government-backed companies, several of which are responsible for the master development of various emerging areas of the city including Yas Island, Al Maryah Island and Zayed Sports City. Meanwhile, the value of construction sector activity in Abu Dhabi increased to $24.9bn in 2014 from $23.3bn a year earlier. Sector activity also grew 3.3% in 2014 at constant prices over the previous year, up from growth of 0.6% in 2013. Transport infrastructure in particular is helping to drive activity in the sector, with a number of projects planned or under way for rail and urban transport infrastructure as well as the airport segment. This chapter contains an interview Mohamed Al Mubarak, CEO, Aldar.

Abu Dhabi’s transport and logistics industry has been growing rapidly in recent years, with 2014 being an encouraging year in this respect. The transport and storage sector’s total GDP contribution stood at Dh40.5bn ($11.02bn) for 2014, equivalent to 4.3% of the emirate’s GDP, up from 3.7% in 2013 and 3.3% in 2010. The emirate has seen air traffic grow rapidly from 169,931 aircraft movements to 213,200 in 2014, of which 186,207 took place in the Abu Dhabi region and 26,993 in Al Ain. The government is now working to encourage more people to use public transport, with new infrastructure such as a 44.5-km metro line now in the pipeline, while initiatives such as the construction of dedicated cycle paths and shaded walkways have been designed to encourage more walking and cycling in the emirate. This chapter contains an interview with Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO, Abu Dhabi Ports.