Satellite town in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| Al Wathba ٱلْوَثْبَةZayed Festival Village | |
|---|---|
| Satellite town | |
  Al WathbaLocation in the UAEShow map of United Arab Emirates Al WathbaAl Wathba (Asia)Show map of Asia | |
| Coordinates: 24°12′17.21″N 54°42′19.99″E / 24.2047806°N 54.7055528°E / 24.2047806; 54.7055528 | |
| Country | United Arab Emirates |
| Emirate | Abu Dhabi |
| Municipal region | Abu Dhabi Region |
| Government | |
| • Type | Absolute monarchy |
| • Sheikh | Khalifa bin Zayed |
| • Crown Prince | Mohammed bin Zayed |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (UAE standard time) |
Al Wathba (Arabic: ٱلْوَثْبَة, romanized: Al-Wathbah) is a suburb of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates that has a wetland nearby. It is located not too far from the international airport. It is also known as Zayed Festival village because Sheikh Zayed Festival, an important festival in Abu Dhabi, is held here.
Al wathba introduction After Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan became the Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1966, he set about further developing the Emirate, spending on healthcare, education and infrastructure. As part of his plan to develop the city of Abu Dhabi, in the 1980s, he invited Sir William Atkins, of the company W.S. Atkins and Partners (Atkins), to plan the development of Abu Dhabi and what would become the satellites of Wathba, Shahama and Bani Yas, where a number of local Bedouins and immigrants from other parts of the Arabian Peninsula had settled under Sheikh Zayed's encouragement.
Wetland reserve
| Al Wathba Wetland Reserve | |
|---|---|
 Greater flamingoes at Al Wathba | |
  Location in the United Arab Emirates | |
| Location | Abu Dhabi, the UAE |
| Nearest city | Abu Dhabi |
| Coordinates | 24°15′14.45″N 54°36′33.95″E / 24.2540139°N 54.6094306°E / 24.2540139; 54.6094306 |
| Area | 5 km (1.9 sq mi) |
| Established | 2008 |
| Governing body | Environment Agency Abu Dhabi |
| Ramsar Wetland | |
| Official name | Al Wathba Wetland Reserve |
| Designated | 25 April 2013 |
| Reference no. | 2142 |
Located between Bani Yas, Mussafah, and the Abu Dhabi–Al Ain Road, Al Wathba Wetland Reserve was established by Sheikh Zayed in 1998, and is home to birds like the greater flamingo, besides aquatic life. The reserve has been designated as a Ramsar site since 2013.
Al Wathba Jail
in the 1990s, Filipino worker Sarah Balabagan was held here on charges of murdering her employer which she claims was an act self-defence. She was initially sentenced to death but was later pardoned after intervention from Sheikh Zayed. Her sentence was shortened to 1 year and she was later deported back to the Philippines.
In 2009, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, Issa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was the subject of a lawsuit brought to him by his employee whom he allegedly imprisoned and tortured in Al Wathba Jail.
In 2011, Ahmad Mansoor, who received the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in 2015 was jailed for speech related activity “publishing false information and rumours", Mansoor was held in solitary confinement and prohibited access to a lawyer.In Al Wathba prison nobody is treated like prisoner because it provides access to rehabilitation programs, including vocational training, educational programs, and religious guidance aimed at reintegrating inmates into society.
Notable events in Al Wathba
The following is a notable events in Al Wathba
Sheikh Zayed Festival
Main article: Sheikh Zayed FestivalThe Sheikh Zayed Festival is one of the largest heritage events in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which sheds light on multiple bright aspects of the heritage and culture of the United Arab Emirates
Notable people
 | This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (September 2019) |
- Hazza Al Mansouri, Emirati astronaut
See also
- Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, Dubai
- Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve
- Jebel Hafeet National Park, Abu Dhabi
- Mangrove National Park, Abu Dhabi
- Ras Al Khor, Dubai
- Sir Abu Nu'ayr, Sharjah
- Sir Bani Yas, Abu Dhabi
- Wadi Wurayah, Fujairah
- Wildlife of the United Arab Emirates
References
- ^ Bani Hashim, Alamira Reem (2015). Planning Abu Dhabi: From Arish Village to a Global, Sustainable, Arab Capital City (PDF) (Thesis). Berkeley: University of California. pp. 119–303. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ "Annual Report 2017" (PDF), Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, vol. 1: Culture, pp. 8–211, 2017, retrieved 9 March 2019
- ^ "Annual Report 2018 – Culture" (PDF), Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, vol. 1, p. 117, 2018, retrieved 6 May 2019
- ^ "Welcome to Al Wathba Wetland Reserve". Environment Agency Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
- ^ "Al Wathba Wetland Reserve". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
- "Report". Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- "ABC News Exclusive: Torture Tape Implicates UAE Royal Sheikh". ABC News.
- "UAE: Free prominent rights defender Ahmed Mansoor, held on speech-related charges". International Federation for Human Rights. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- "Al Wathba jail: Where prisoners learn to be free". gulfnews.com. 3 May 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/new-years-eve-in-uae-nonstop-fireworks-for-53-minutes-at-sheikh-zayed-festival
- https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/abu-dhabi-sheikh-zayed-festival-to-begin-on-november-18
- Nasir, Sarwat (26 February 2019). "How UAE astronauts reacted to call-up: One went jogging, the other thought it was a dream". Dubai: Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- "Hazza Al-Mansouri". Gulf News. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
External links
 Emirate of Abu Dhabi | |
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| Culture | Cultural property of national significance in Abu Dhabi |
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