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Abu Dhabi

American  
[ah-boo dah-bee] / ˈɑ bu ˈdɑ bi /

noun

  1. a sheikdom in the N United Arab Emirates, on the S coast of the Persian Gulf.

  2. the capital of this sheikdom.

  3. the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Abu Dhabi British  
/ ˈæbuː ˈdɑːbɪ /

noun

  1. a sheikhdom (emirate) of SE Arabia, on the S coast of the Persian Gulf: the chief sheikhdom and capital of the United Arab Emirates, consisting principally of the port of Abu Dhabi and a desert hinterland; contains major oilfields. Pop: 476 000 (2005 est). Area: 67 350 sq km (25 998 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I am worried about the continuation of the situation and the return of attacks again, because they were causing me tension," said Imam, an Egyptian housewife living in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

Passengers had just boarded an early Monday morning Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi to London when a wave of phone missile alerts swept the cabin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Earlier in the day, authorities in Abu Dhabi said they were battling fires at a Borouge petrochemical facility caused by falling debris from an Iranian missile.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

A fire caused by falling debris from an intercepted attack forced the suspension of operations at the Habshan gas complex in Abu Dhabi, the government media office said.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Had they all trekked away to Saudi Arabia or Abu Dhabi?

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.