Abu Dhabi and Dubai are two independent territories found within the United Arab Emirates.
While both these cities have some similarities, they are found attractive to various people depending on their preferences and lifestyle, especially with regards to housing, population, transportation, holidays, and leisure.
Despite being in close proximity, within an hour’s drive from each other, life in Abu Dhabi and Dubai varies greatly. Of late, Dubai has established itself as a leading tourism and trade centre, whilst Abu Dhabi is more traditional and quieter.
That said, though both the cities are equally rich and powerful they are as different as chalk and cheese. Here we will make an attempt to highlight the differences between these two major emirates of the UAE.
Just as Dubai is great for shopping and having some fun, Abu Dhabi is much calmer and family-oriented with a focus on a life of good living and work.
Since Abu Dhabi enjoys a peaceful location, it is more expensive than Dubai and even has a strict dress code in place with limited nightlife options.
Are The Two Cities Same?
Their names may sound similar but actually, these two territories are separate emirates within the UAE. Thankfully, due to their close proximity to each other, one can conveniently visit both on a single UAE vacation.
Accessibility
Visiting Abu Dhabi and Dubai is easy, while some travelers require a visa, most visitors coming from the Gulf states do not require one.
Apart from being served by two of the best-performing state-owned airlines of the world, Etihad and Emirates, the two megacities are connected by many budget airlines, such as Pakistan’s AirBlue, with almost every part of the world.
From A Visitor’s Perspective
Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai are pricey and the blatant display of wealth and opulence can startle the first-time visitor.
However, since Dubai is a popular tourist hub, one has a better chance of finding affordable accommodation here. As far as Abu Dhabi is concerned, there is no such thing like a hostel or an inexpensive hotel. Everything is costly and it is impossible to save money on accommodation in Abu Dhabi.
Both these best cities of the Emirates boast spectacular attractions, luxury hotels, mega shopping outlets and world-class cuisine. While Dubai vacation websites are bursting at the seams with exciting vacation deals, some visitors find Abu Dhabi equally fun and attractive.
Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE sits on the rich oil fields of the Persian Gulf. The city’s skyline has therefore rocketed upwards with a boom in exports. It is home to some of the world’s most iconic attractions like the Emirates Palace, Sheikh Zayed Mosque and Ferrari World.
Dubai rose to fame as a small country in the Gulf to a leading business destination in just four decades. The shopping scene here is amazing with the city hosting the annual Dubai Shopping Festival in January.
With malls as big as a town, visitors flock there for its amusement parks, theatres, art galleries and even a mosque is located within the premises.
Abu Dhabi Vs Dubai From A Traveler’s Perspective
From the travel point of view, Dubai is far better than its closest neighbor Abu Dhabi in many respects. Dubai is not only much bigger with more options for nightlife as well as family entertainment.
Moreover, accommodation wise Abu Dhabi is slightly more expensive.
Safety
Believe it or not, both Abu Dhabi and Dubai are two of the safest cities in the world. The average rate of homicide is barely 0.3% per hundred thousand residents and mugging is unheard of.
As far as personal security is concerned, Abu Dhabi and Dubai occupy the 11th and 12th positions respectively in the Safe City Index of the world.
Dress Code
Despite being a Muslim nation, the UAE is pretty lenient on the dress code regulations than other countries of the Middle East.
It does not necessarily mean you can walk in skimpy clothes and expect to get a warm reception. Men should wear button-down shirts and shoes when in public while women should wear dark clothes with shoulders totally covered.
Final Thoughts
In the end, it all boils down to what you want to get out of your holiday to the UAE. For instance, if you are interested in big-city life you will, without doubt, prefer Dubai with its hot clubs and other attractions.
Abu Dhabi on the other hand is good for those interested in Muslim culture and escape the maddening hordes of Dubai.
