Dubai has always been the jewel in the United Arab Emirates crown,
and Abu Dhabi considered a little quieter, more traditional and
more conservative. Well, plans are afoot that may change all this.
The United Arab Emirates is planning a 21 billion dirham (USD$5.7
billion) expansion of Abu Dhabi Airport in an effort to revamp the
city's profile and attract millions of tourists. The new Abu
Dhabi Tourism Authority said the emirate wants to attract over 3
million tourists a year by 2015, compared to 830,000 in 2003. Abu
Dhabi has even tried to match Dubai's famed Burj al-Arab hotel,
with its distinctive sail shape with its own Emirates Palace, where
some suites cost USD$16,000 per night.